MAY 9TH AND 11TH: PRAVEEN SULTANA SINGS IN SAI RAMESH HALL

On May 9th, seeing Ms. Praveen Sultana, the doyenne of Hindustani Music seated amidst the crowd, Swami asked her if she would like to sing to the crowd. Naturally being very delighted at this unexpected blessing, Ms. Sultana sang Meera bhajans. But Ms. Sultana being one of the topmost performing artistes in the country was used to singing with the best accompaniments. Swami asked the students of the Sai Mirpuri College of Music to accompany her. The students (Sri Sanket Modi on the harmonium, Sri Shivakumar on the tabla and Sri Niranjan on the mridangam) were absolutely thrilled to be playing for a singer with such a world-wide reputation. Ms. Sultana then sang 4 Meera bhajans in her own inimitable style for the benefit of the audience – Sakhi ri main to Govind ke guna gaoo (O friend let me sing of the qualities of my Govind); Main to lino Govind mole (I have bought my beloved Govind); Payoji maine Ram rathan dhan (I have attained the incomparable wealth of Rama) and finally Mere to Giridhar Gopal (Beloved Krishna is mine).

Begum Parveen Sultana in concert in front of Swami...		Sanket Modi receiving a ring

On the 11th, Swami again blessed Ms. Praveen Sultana to sing to the devotees gathered in Sai Ramesh Hall. Choosing to sing the classical Hindustani ragas – she first sang the raga Hamsadvani followed by the raga Bhairavi which included a bhajan to the Goddess Mahisasuramardini. She then concluded her short concert with the Meera bhajan Bhaja Mana, Nanda Nandana Giridhari.

After the concert Swami asked her if the accompaniments especially the harmonium were good. She replied that it was very good (a good harmonium accompaniment is very necessary for her to keep time). Swami beamed like a proud mother on hearing this signal praise of his students performing well in such a setting. He immediately called Sri Sanket Modi, a Music College Diploma student, and manifested a navarathna (nine-gem) ring for him. Truly if you sing solely for the Lord, worldly recognition will follow of its own accord without any seeking.

MAY 13 & 14th VESAK 2006 - BUDDHA POORNIMA CELEBRATIONS IN BRINDAVAN

The First Day

Vesak Day, 2006, the 2550th anniversary of the triple-event of the Birth, the Enlightenment and the Death of Siddhartha - also known as Gautama Buddha, was celebrated in millions of homes in all the lands where Buddhism is practised with the lighting of lamps and elaborately sculpted decorative lanterns, both in homes and in the public streets, the erection of colourful depictions of events from the life of the Holy One and the offering of dana - charity – and of course going to the temples to offer obeisance and seek the Buddha’s Blessing on this the most auspicious of days for the practising Buddhist. This important Buddhist festival has also been celebrated in Whitefield for more than 10 years for Swami is usually resident in Brindavan when the Buddha Poornima or the full moon night in the month of May rolls around.
		The decorated altar at Sai Ramesh Hall

Every year one of the Buddhist countries acts as the chief host for this event of great significance to Buddhists. Last year Sri Lanka was the host and this year it was the turn of Region 41 South East Asia comprising the countries of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei.

Planning for this mega event started right after the Maha-Sivarathri festival when Bhagavan approved and blessed the proposed Buddha Poornima Programme. A total of 14 countries responded and came to Brindavan – Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong and many Buddhists also came from the countries of UK, USA and South Africa (in addition to the devotees from the 4 host countries) – as early as the 8th of May. In addition 8 Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka and Indonesia also participated in this memorable event.

Some of the Buddhist monks who attended the celebration		The Chinese lanterns on the ceiling

By the 11th, the devotees started to put up the decorations inside the Ashram premises, including Sai Ramesh Hall, the Kalyana Mantapam and of course – Trayee Brindavan, Bhagavan’s residence. Some speciality decorative items – like the red Chinese lanterns from Taiwan which added a touch of grandeur when hung from the ceiling - were brought from their own countries by the devotees, but in most cases items were bought locally. When the lights were fully lit it was a sight for the Gods to see. The wonderful decorations and the entire campus looked like it had been transformed into a Buddhist country with its many banners displaying the teachings of the Buddha and Swami, the different flags, and the Chinese lanterns. In a corner of the dais an elaborate and intricately decorated altar was set up along with pictures of Shirdi Baba and Sathya Baba.

The Nanyang School Procession		A view of the dignitaries on the stage

On the morning of the 13th, Bhagavan was led by 12 children from the Nanyang School of Medan, Indonesia in their beautiful red attire and playing beautiful music for the Lord, from His residence to the dais of Sai Ramesh Hall. A lot of dignitaries attended the day’s festivities. Seated on the dais along with Swami were the Sri Lankan Opposition leader Sri Kuru Jayasuriya, the Governor of the State of Karnataka Sri T. N. Chaturvedi and the Governor of the State of Maharashtra Sri S.M Krishna. Also gracing the occasion by their presence were – Sri Rohitha Bogollagama, Sri Lankan Minister for Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion, the Sri Lankan Ambassador to India, the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Sri Lanka, heads of several industrial groups and prominent citizens of Bangalore who are long time devotees of Swami.

Swami was welcomed with bouquets by the leaders of all the countries hosting the program. Swami then inaugurated this great event by pressing a switch which lit up the entire podium and the Buddhist altars to clapping from the assembled crowd. The celebrations were set on its way by a beautiful rendering of a few bhajans by singers from the host countries. Both the ladies and the gents sang very well and Bhagavan kept beat with the songs. After the bhajans had uplifted the entire congregation, there were a couple of speeches by well-known Buddhist devotees to round off the morning program.

Inaugurating the function by pressing the switch		Dr. Art Ong Jumsai speaking

First was an inspiring address by Dr. Art Ong Jumsai, an eminent educationist, a former Member of Parliament and an eminent scientist having worked for the space Agency NASA during the heady days of the moon landing. Dr Jumsai stressed on the loving kindness, the ahimsa and the compassion of Lord Buddha. To the delight of the crowd he also related the story of the Sathya Sai School in Thailand, where 95% of the students are Buddhists and which was recently acknowledged as the “best Buddhist school” in Thailand. Dr Jumsai said that the reason for this achievement was that the students did a lot of seva at the Buddhist temple next door –serving food during festivals, washing plates, cleaning the temple and also arranging discussions on the various aspects of human values. They also had a water project to supply clean water to the community around the school and provided free medical treatment for the nearby villagers at the school’s clinic. Terming ‘educare’ as the discovery of the Buddha within; he outlined 3 steps in Buddhism to achieve this. The first step is Sila or control of the senses. The second step is Meditation and the students wake up at 4:30 AM to do the Jyothi meditation as laid down by Bhagavan. And the third step in Buddhism is Panya - inner wisdom or understanding of the truth of the true nature of man being the Atma, using the human values of Love and Non-Violence.

		Next to speak was Sir Bradman Weerakom from Sri Lanka who was the Secretary to the Government and served 7 Prime ministers in Sri Lanka. Sri Weerakom chose to speak on the contribution of Buddhism towards Global Peace. He said, “The road to peace as expressed in Buddhism needs to have two pathways. The first is the cultivation of the right mental attitudes. The second is the resolution through right effort of the underlying material conditions which give rise to conflict; whether of poverty, or under-development or alienation or exclusion. Improving the human condition so that the poor and the deprived in our societies are provided with the basic necessities of life – like food, drinking water, health facilities and education for the children, which Bhagavan has engaged in so resolutely, is in total fulfilment of this second pathway, so complementary and so essential to building, sustaining and strengthening global peace."
Sir Bradman obtaining Swami’s blessings

After the arathi, all the delegates were directed to the Kalyana Mantap where a sumptuous lunch was arranged for all the 1100 Buddhist delegates by Bhagavan.

Reciting the brahmarpanam		A luncheon picture partaking Swami's prasadam

All the delegates were seated (ladies on one side and the gents on the other) for the luncheon which was served in the traditional manner on banana leaves. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the lunch which was lovingly served by the seva dals and some of Swami’s students. This concluded the morning programme.

The ladies who sang for Swami		The singers on the gents side

The evening programme started around 4 PM. Welcoming Swami everyday to Sai Ramesh hall were the bhajan singers drawn from the host countries who sang a number of Sanskrit bhajans singing the praise of the Lord. We need to commend these bhajan singers. They had practised a wide repertoire of Indian bhajans just for Swami’s sake. Both the ladies and the gents sang very well and at times Swami sat for as much as a half-hour listening attentively to the bhajans before He would bless the day’s programme to start. And a listener would not have been able to tell the difference from the usual bhajan rendition, such was their level of practise and a reflection of their level of dedication.

After a short while of bhajan singing, Swami blessed the programme to start. The first to speak in the evening was Dr. Narendra Reddy from Los Angeles, California. Dr. Reddy serves as a member of the Prashanti Council and co-ordinates its medical programmes (like medical camps in different countries or the sending of medical teams and supplies to areas affected by natural disasters like the recent tsunami in the region). Dr Reddy touched upon and amplified the views expressed by the two speakers in the morning and especially addressed the devotees on the significance of this joyous day. He also mentioned the catholicity of the teachings of the Buddha and its relevance to all of us.
		Dr Reddy talking to the audience

Speaking next was Brother Phoa Krishnaputra, of Medan, Indonesia, who chose to talk about how with His Grace we can achieve anything. Fortunate in having a loving wife and healthy successful children, he followed a prosperous career with plantation companies and reached the highest level of management. Still there was something niggling deep inside his mind, and he was searching for a cure for his aching heart. He next recounted the story of his life and how he happened to come to India on a pilgrimage to the Buddhist holy places and was lead to Swami; he also recounted Swami’s help and guidance in helping him establish a Sai Centre and a school in Indonesia.

Sri Krishnaputra getting Swami’s blessing before addressing the crowd		Swami blesses the book before release

After these two speeches, Swami graciously blessed a book entitled “Personal Interactions with Baba My Father’ by Dr (Mrs) Vasantha Jayasuriya, wife of Sri Jayasuriya, a former Minister of Sri Lanka. Swami was also kind enough to release a copy of the Buddha Poornima issue of the Sai Marga magazine. Sri Jayasuriya also extended an invitation to Swami to visit Sri Lanka. After this Swami got up slowly to give His Divine Discourse, while the students scurried hurriedly to set up the discourse table and mike for Him.

		Swami started His divine discourse by delineating in detail on the life of the Buddha. He mentioned how the Buddha’s parents – Shudhodhana and Mayadevi – performed penance for many years to have an heir to rule the kingdom. As soon as the son Siddhartha was born, the mother Mayadevi gave up the body and the boy was brought up by the King’s second wife Goutami. At the time of birth, the King’s astrologers predicted that the boy would not rule the kingdom. To prevent this untoward happening, the king shielded the boy by keeping him in the palace itself and isolating him from outside influences. At the age of 20, Siddhartha was married to Yashodhara and they in turn had a son.
The Divine Discourse

One night there was a sudden transformation in the mind of Siddhartha and he left the palace after caressing his son, Rahul. Siddhartha went to the forest to contemplate and had to undergo a lot of hardship and difficulties. His parents were also suffering from a sense of separation. Swami also added that Siddhartha’s anguish came in the way of his self-realization.

In one town a person gave him a talisman for protection, telling Siddhartha that the anguish actually is from within. (Swami waved His hand and materialised the talisman to the astonished gasps of the audience). The person put the talisman on Siddhartha’s neck and all the anguish vanishes (Swami later in His Discourse also added that the talisman disappeared when the Buddha died). Siddhartha started doing penance, very long penance. He started questioning – Who am I? Am I the body? Am I the mind? Finally he reached the conclusion that “I am I”. This is also the principle of Aham Brahmasmi – I AM God; and Tat Twam Asi – Thou Art That. Thus, said Swami, Buddha went on enquiring into the truth and reached the true realization that I AM I.
		Manifesting the protective talisman

Swami further said that today’s meditation, penance, japa, or yoga gives only momentary satisfaction and is a waste of time. The primary duty of man is to find fulfilment in life. “Without wasting time in meditation, do social work”, said Swami, “and recognise the divinity in everyone. That is true meditation”. He further said, “Every man therefore has to recognise the Truth that I am God, I am God. Every man identifies himself with the Atma. Buddha was the person who had recognised the unity in multiplicity and there was a total transformation in his life when he recognised the unity”.

“What did the Buddha teach?” asked Swami. Answering the question He said that he went on teaching that there is only one principle in everyone. The truth is one, though it may be called by different names. Similarly Krishna also declared - Everybody is part and parcel of Myself. You are My Own reflection. You are not different from Me, said Swami. He further added that every reaction, reflection and resound is one and the same. The Buddha also taught that we should not get angry with anyone. We should not harm others. We should not find fault with others. There is only one principle – eternal, pure and wise. And all of you are Buddhas. And when you understand this truth you see unity everywhere. And so we have to unite our hearts and recognise the spirit of unity. When mind finds and experiences this unity, then man’s life finds fulfilment.

After this arathi was taken; and the devotees were asked to assemble in the Ramesh Krishan Kalyana Mantap for the cultural programme to follow.

The Kwan Yin Dance Front View		...And Side View

First the 12 children from the Nanyang School of Medan, Indonesia presented a unique dance called “The Thousand Hand Kwan Yin” dance. The Nanyang Modern Indonesian School of Medan, Indonesia, is one of the educational institutions where the ‘Sri Sathya Sai Education in Human Values’ is being implemented in the teaching curricula.

Kwan Yin is the Goddess of Mercy and is revered in Indonesia. The small children dressed in their gold suits gave a very well co-ordinated dance that won loud applause from the crowd. When they stood in a line and moved their heads and hands it looked like they had moulded into one single body. The message conveyed by these synchronised dance movements was that as human beings we are obliged to spread the loving kindness (metta) and helping hands in order to attain global peace and harmony. Following this short dance programme was a drama by the youth of Singapore.

The courtroom Scene from the drama		A scene from the Buddha's life

The drama was based on the life and teachings of the Lord Shakyamuni Buddha whose teachings emphasized the need for all of us to realize the divinity within and to follow the path of Truth and Righteousness by mastering our five senses. The opening scene was set in the Supreme Court where all had gathered to hear the case of the Government against the Inter-Faith council on the charge that God does not exist. If the Government proves its case without a doubt all references to God in schools and Government policies have to be removed. In an action packed sequence sparking with hard-hitting and well rendered dialogues, the defence attorney wins the case when he proves that the mere presence of evil in the world does not imply that God does not exist.

He made the argument that just as darkness is the absence of light, so too evil reflects the absence of goodness and is a human foible. God is something that can only be experienced and cannot be perceived by the five senses; just as the fact that though we cannot see and feel Oxygen we still continue to breathe. The drama also depicted a scene from the life of the Buddha (wherein He accepted a pomegranate from a poor woman but did not accept gold and precious stones from a king - looking just to the motivation behind the gift rather than its worldly value) to emphasize that we need to purify our minds and hearts if we are to attain Nirvana - the final goal of life according to Buddhism. Swami talked with all the youth who had put up the play before He retired for the night.

The Second Day

		On the second day Swami came out of Trayee at 9:10 AM and gave darshan to the assembled devotees at Sai Ramesh Hall. After a few bhajans, the Bala Vikas children of Indonesia presented a traditional Indonesian dance, called the “Welcome dance”, a custom in the area of North Sumatra, Indonesia – in welcoming distinguished guests during festive occasions by the young Sumatran ladies. The Bala Vikas students aged between 9 to 14 years performed the dance to the delight of the crowd. Following this was a repeat of the Kwan Yin dance from the previous day but now before the larger Sai Ramesh Hall audience. Again the young ladies won the applause of the crowd with their synchronised movements.
Welcome Dance

This was followed by an entertaining and absorbing Chinese choir presented by Malaysia. All the songs were in Chinese - joyful songs sung in praise of God; songs that expressed that we should experience the joy, love and grace of Bhagavan Baba. The songs were vibrant, expressive, and full of love.

Chinese choir - Ladies side		Chinese Choir - Gents side

Though the tunes were unfamiliar and the words incomprehensible - everyone found empathy and unity with the sentiments that were joyfully expressed by the energetic choir. At the close of the presentation, Swami called Bro. Stanley Cherry, a vocal teacher in Malaysia and the choir conductor and motivator, up to the dais and materialised a golden chain much to the joy of all the members of the choir and the devotees present.
		A Chain For the Conductor

Following this Swami blessed the food and the clothes that would be distributed by the Buddhist devotees as part of Narayan Seva and vastra danam. The poor people were all seated in orderly rows and the overseas devotees enthusiastically distributed food to all. In all about 800 people were given food and clothing to conclude the morning programme.

Swami blessing the food		Narayan Seva by the Buddhists

In the evening the darshan started at 4:20 PM and Swami was again greeted by an inspiring rendition of bhajans by the singers from the overseas devotees. After a few bhajans, Swami gave His blessings for the evening programme to start. The first item was a short rendition by 2 gents on what was termed as ‘Sri Lankan Drums’. These 2 percussionists gave a short but resounding and controlled display that picked up pace very fast so that at times it seemed that their fingers were just a blur playing fast staccato music on the rawhide skin.

Sri Lankan Drums		The final dance item

The finale item of the two day celebration was a dance put up by the Bal Vikas of Indonesia to the tune of the bhajan “Sai Bhajan Bina Sukh Shanti Nahi”. This traditional Indonesian dance form is called “Mainang Kuala Deli”. It is an entertainment dance performed by the youth in North Sumatra, to share their joy and happiness. Certainly their joy was contagious and everyone went home uplifted and happy at the conclusion of this two day festival of Buddha Poornima.

MAY 16TH: A SITAR CONCERT

When we all came to Sai Ramesh Hall in the afternoon, we noticed that a plush carpet had been laid out in the first block right in front of the dais. All of us immediately suspected that a musical concert was in the offing and we were not disappointed. Slated to play this day was Sri Prabeer Bhattachary, a noted sitar exponent from Kolkata.

		Sri Prabeer Bhattacharya is a disciple of the great Pandit Deepak Choudhary (Pt. Deepak Choudhary himself is a disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar). Sri Prabeer had about 17 years of training under his teacher and his playing style is notable for its range of emotions and speed. A rigorous daily practise regimen of 12 hours had made him a maestro of the sitar. Accompanying him this evening were accomplished artists Sri Rajendra Nakoe on the tabla and Sri Srinivas on the mridangam. Sri Prabeer started his concert with Raag Megh or a raga celebrating the rainy season. (A raag is a combination of certain swaras or notes. In Hindustani music we have seven swaras – Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni analogous to the Western Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti). Thus Raag Megh has the swaras Sa Re Ma Pa Ni Sa on the ascending and the swaras Sa Ni Pa Ma Re Sa on the descending.
Sri Prabeer Bhattacharya on the sitar

He followed the Raag Megh with Raag Hamsadhwani Malika (or the raga that creates a happy mood) that had the raga Bahar admixed with it. This Raag has on the ascending the swaras Sa Re Ga Pa Ni Sa and on the descending it has the swaras Sa Ni Pa Ga Re Sa. The last item was the raag Bhairavi that had a jugalbandhi (i.e. The tabla and the mridangam played in turn). This raag has on the ascending: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dh Ni Sa; and on the descending: Sa Ni Dh Pa Ma Ga Re Sa.
		The concert in progress

Our readers might also be pleased to know that this young artiste Sri Prabheer Bhattacharya is also a Visiting Professor at the Sai Mirpuri College of Music and spends a couple of months every year sharing his immense talent and skill with the young and eager students.

MAY 19TH - 21ST: A 3-DAY KERALA YOUTH SADHANA CAMP

A sadhana camp was held for the Sai youth, students, teachers, doctors and paramedical professionals of Kerala on the 19th, 20th and 21st of May, 2006. About 1800 participants (which includes 300 doctors and paramedics) attended the camp from all the 14 districts of Kerala.

This was the fourth Youth Camp in as many years, riding high on the crest of the phenomenal success of the earlier meetings. Youth of the state of Kerala drawn by the all- attractive love of Swami, came in phenomenal numbers to spend three exclusive days at the Lotus Feet, three days of love speaking its universal language, making use of their summer vacations from schools and colleges or else leave from their employers.

Lady participants at the camp		A view of the Gents side

They put up lightly with physical hardship and inconvenience suffused with devotional fervour and the contagious enthusiasm and response to the love that Bhagawan showered on them; for in this Avatar the Lord has chosen the youth of the world to be the instruments through which He will accomplish His Mission of transforming society.

It was a very tightly packed three-day programme. They would come early and take their allotted seats in Sai Ramesh Hall, both for the morning and the evening darshan. Speeches and Music Programmes were planned in Sai Kulwant Hall in the Divine Presence on all the three days. Additionally, after about an hour’s break for breakfast after the morning darshan, the numerous participants would meet in the Sai Ramesh Krishan Kalyana Mantap for “classes” where the staff and some chosen graduate students of the SSSIHL, or a few elderly devotees would speak to them. They would then break for lunch at around 1:00 PM and again re-assemble at 2:00 PM in the Kalyana Mantap for one more “session” before re-assembling again in Sai Ramesh Hall for the afternoon’s darshan and activities. We bring you a report on all the numerous speeches and talks, so you too can also get a flavour of the blessings received by the Kerala Youth during these three days. This has made our report a little long but we hope you will understand our indulgence and appreciate the motivation behind it.

The First Day

		Amidst bhajans led by the Kerala Bhajan group, Bhagavan came to the stage at 8.50 AM. Bhagavan was welcomed to the richly decorated auditorium with the accompaniment of Nadaswaram. Apart from the floral decoration to the dais, there hung on both sides the traditional Kerala Villakku - the oil lamp, but with a modern touch of having small electric bulbs in place of wicks fed by oil. The Kerala Bhajan Group had 10 gents (5 lead and 5 followers) and 10 women (again 5 for the lead and 5 followers) drawn from across the State. The vocals were ably accompanied by the Harmonium, the tabla, the Violin and a Timer Instrument. The Bhajan group had the signal honour of welcoming Swami to the Hall for every darshan, and they responded magnificently to the occasion.
The Gents' Bhajan Group

Starting with Vigna Vinasaka, they moved into Sathya Sai Rama and Prema Swaroopini. Jaya Krishna Kunja Bihari and Shiva Shiva Shiva Shiva quickly followed. The sarva dharma bhajan Rahiman Rahiman was next, followed by Gangadhara Hara and Gana Gana Neela, at which point Bhagavan gave the signal for the morning programme to start.

Swami inaugurates the conference by pressing a remote button		Dr Koushik Narayan presents the book for release

Prof. E. Mukundan, State President of the Sathya Sai Seva Organisations of Kerala, in his introductory remarks thanked Bhagavan for the glorious opportunity of holding the Sadhana Camp in the Divine Presence for the fourth consecutive year.

The first programme was the release of a book entitled “Helpline on the Sathya Sai Path” – a book of questions and answers by Sri B. N. Narasimha Murthy, Warden of SSSIHL hostel at Brindavan, compiled by Dr. Koushik Narayan - a member of the Kerala Youth Wing. The book is based on the questions and doubts raised by the Sai Youth of Kerala in the previous three youth camps. Bhagavan graciously accepted the book and blessed it with His Divine Signature. Then the State President, Sri Mukundan, introduced the two speakers of the morning – two Hon. Judges of the High Court of Kerala – Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice Padmanabhan Nair.
		The book that was released by the Divine Hands

Justice Thottathil Radhakrishnan said that his desire as a student to participate in the Summer Course on Spirituality and Indian Culture held at Brindavan came alive that day with the youth of Kerala. With Swami’s permission, he narrated how he was saved from the disaster of the recent tsunami, without even knowledge of the disaster. His family had been to the Andamans; the giant waves of the tsunami had hit the shore a few minutes after they had disembarked from the ship, and the ship was washed away. They did not even know of this unfortunate turn of events, and came to know of the disaster only on returning home. He advised the youth to remain committed to the motherland, as mother and motherland are greater than even the Heavens. He added that India’s wish to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic would be fulfilled in full only if the five human values of the Sai Philosophy are put into practice.
		Justice Thottathil speaks to the participants

		Justice Padmanabhan Nair expressed his fortune at having been able to come to Swami for the first time and speak in the Divine Presence. He also added that the educational, medical and water projects of Bhagavan are one of their kinds in the world and are pristine examples for humanity. It is for us to emulate those ideals and practise it in our own small way. The youth are fortunate to be at the Lotus Feet of the greatest Master and Mentor. He added that we have to put this opportunity to the best use for individual and social transformation. Bhagavan materialized vibhuti for both the judges.
Justice Padmanabhan Nair receives vibhuti

A musical offering by Sri Madhu Balakrishnan, the renowned Malayalam playback singer, was the next item. He chose to sing popular Malayalam devotional songs; there were also a couple of songs on Swami. Starting with Maha Ganapathim, he launched into the Malayalam Oru Yugam followed by Mahadeva Shiva Shambho and Radha Than Premam. This was followed by the keertanam - Dasa Dasa and the Malayalam Karuna Chei Van. After a couple more devotional songs, he ended with a composition on Swami entitled Ellam Ennikende. Sri T.S. Radhakrishnan accompanied the vocalist on the harmonium, Sri Rajesh on the flute, Sri Selvam on the tabla and Sri Shankar on the mridangam. The session concluded with Mangala Arathi at 10 AM.
		Sri Madhu Balakrishnan sings for all

Then the participants proceeded to the “Sadhana session” at the Sai Krishan Kalyana Mandapam, where the teachers of the SSSIHL and other elders addressed them.

The first speaker was Sri B. N. Narasimha Murthy, Warden of the Brindavan campus. The revealing message was the recent declaration by Bhagavan, “The one who loves this beautiful form of Sai is My Jeeva-prajna; the one who works relentlessly for me in My Jeeva-prajna.” He narrated many experiences to illustrate the Infinite Love of Bhagavan. If the youth hold on to Swami’s Feet, all their desires will be fulfilled and they will attain inner peace.

The next speaker was Dr. Narendranath Reddy, the Chairman of the International Medical Committee of the Prashanti Council. Once Swami told him in response to a doubt, “If you have intense longing for me in your heart, it means that you love me.” The next speaker, Dr. T. Ravikumar, a faculty member of the Dept. of Chemistry, SSSIHL, narrated many experiences to demonstrate the various ways of Bhagavan in reforming His devotee. He also narrated how Swami cancelled his father’s cancer. The post-lunch session at the Kalyana Mandapam had a lecture by, Sri Vijay Menon, a consultant and trainer of Human Resource Development and a member of the Sai Youth Wing of Kerala. Speaking in Malayalam, he said that only a self-ignited value system orientation can lead us to Swami. Swami gives us both material and spiritual gains. It is for us to decide what we want.
		Sri Vijay Menon adresses the participants in the Kalyana Mantap

In the evening session at Sai Ramesh Hall, the Bhajan Group welcomed Bhagavan again. This time the group could sing about 10 bhajans (which included Jay Ganaraya, Radhey Govinda Hare, Rama Hare Sai Krishna Hare, Shivaya Nama Shivaya and a few others) in the divine presence before He asked the afternoon programme to start.

		Bhagavan blessed four members of the Kerala Youth wing to speak. The programme commenced with Veda chanting by the numerous Sai Youth of Kerala. The first speaker of the afternoon, Sri Vijay Menon highlighted Indian culture to be so deep that even mighty kings sought refuge in its saintly wisdom for protection. Along with the growth of science, ignorance has also increased thus the effect gets balanced out so that no real effect is felt. We must be personifications of a value and virtue system as taught by Gandhiji. It is ultimately the dharmic consciousness that finally matters.
Vedam Chanting before the start of the programme

The second speaker was Kum. Nadiya, the Mahila Youth In-charge of Chalappram Samithi, Kozhikode. She described the benefits that she derived out of active participation in the Sai Organisation. She thanked Bhagavan for the unique chance that the youth have obtained, to be the instruments of individual and social transformation.

Kum. Nadiya receiving His blessings before speaking		Kum Anjali addresses the youth

The third speaker was Dr. Koushik Narayan, State Gents’ Coordinator of Education, Kerala. He elaborated upon the impact of the previous three Sadhana camps on the Sai youth of Kerala. Today’s youth are attracted only to the petty and transient pleasures of life; they do not bother about matters of greater significance. It is in this context that the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, Kerala gives them the ultimate experience of Divinity Itself. He also narrated a touching incident as to how Swami came to a group of young Sevadals in the guise of a young boy.

The fourth speaker, Kum. Anjali Ajay, explained how Swami helped her throughout her academic and personal life. She also shared the Sai activities that she participated in and the benefits she derived out of them.

This was followed by a speech by Dr. Anand Mohan, State In-charge of the Medical Cell. He said that Swami is the Apoorvavaidya who cures the malady of desire, delusion and attachment. The principles of health care as elucidated by Bhagavan – globalisation of health care, decommercialisation of medicine, human values in medical practice - have demonstrated to the world that health is primarily a spiritual concept. The materialization of these concepts through the Super Speciality Hospitals, General Hospitals and the medical centres and camps held all over the world is unparalleled and unprecedented in human history; and perhaps may be unrepeatable in future. Swami has shown to the world that when Universal Love manifests, miracles occur.
		Dr. Anand Mohan talks about health care

This was followed by a musical presentation by Sri Madhu Balakrishnan again, at the end of which Swami materialized a golden ring for the singer.

The Second Day

On the second day morning, amidst bhajans led by the Kerala Bhajan group, Bhagavan came to Sai Ramesh Hall at 8.20 AM. The Bhajan Group welcomed Him with three bhajans – Vinayaka Vinayaka, Keshava Madhava, and O Baba Sai Baba, before He signalled for the morning programme to start.

		The State President introduced the speaker of the morning session Dr. Ramachandran Nair, the revered Vice Chancellor of the University of Kerala. He exhorted the youth to make the best use of knowledge by integrating the resources of man, material and money in a very positive manner. This leads to the prosperity of the nation. Sincerity, commitment, devotion, love and affection are very important in this regard. The present generation is missing the inheritance of wisdom and the blessings of the previous generation. The youth have to develop the qualities of leadership, communication skills – verbal, written and body language, ability to motivate oneself and others and above all, creativity. At the end of the speech, Swami materialized a golden chain for Dr Nair.
A gold chain for Dr Nair after his speech

		A Carnatic musical offering by Sri Harihara Subramanyam followed. The young promising artist was previously a Bal Vikas student. Most of the krithis were preceded by a soul-stirring viruthams. Starting with Vattapi Ganapathim, he next sang Karunai Daivame, and then Eppovaruvaro. He concluded with a special composition on Swami called Sai Sai Sairama. The programme concluded with Mangala Arathi at 9.10 AM. Dr. Deepak Anand, a faculty member of SSSIHL, addressed the first morning session at the Kalyanamandapam. He advised to dedicate all the impurities of our heart at the Lotus Feet of Swami and remain ever focused on Him. He will accept them and transform them into Divine Love. Then only can we merge in the Supreme Divine Love.
Sri Harihara Subramaniam sings with feeling

The second session was by Sri G. Srirangarajan, a faculty member of SSSIHL. The human body along with its talents and potentials is Swami’s prasadam to us; our duty is to return it as naivedyam to the Swami in all in the form of service. This constitutes the “Prasadam-Naivedyam cycle.” The next speaker was Prof. Sanjay Sahni, Principal of the Brindavan campus of the SSSIHL. He stressed on the importance of sense-control and mind-control. The two golden injunctions on this path are – talk less, have minimum connections. In the post-lunch session at the Kalyana Mandapam, Dr. Ramachandran Nair, revered Vice Chancellor of the University of Kerala addressed the camp participants. He said that evil qualities easily conquer us; on the other hand, it is difficult to cultivate virtues. Just because the path of evil is easy, one cannot afford to accept it; one must take the effort to cultivate virtues. In today’s world, only Sai’s glory can bring about transformation; all the mega Seva Projects of Bhagavan are role models for humanity to follow.
		State President Mukundan co-ordinating the sessions in the kalyana mantap

		In the evening at Sai Ramesh Hall, Swami came as the Youth of Kerala rendered mellifluous bhajans. The bhajans included Hari Sri Ganapathi Om, Jaya Jaya Rama Janaki Rama, Sarva Dharma Priya Deva and a couple more. The programme commenced with Veda chanting by the Sai Youth of Kerala. The State President introduced the two youth speakers of the afternoon and the dignitary, Sri Radhakrishnan, Hon. Vice Chancellor, Sri Sankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kalady, Kerala, who also addressed the gathering.
The Ladies' Bhajan Group

Sri Manoj receives Swami's blessings before his speech		Kum Divya shares her views

The first speaker Sri Manoj shared the lessons that he learnt at the previous Sadhana camps. He said that knowledge must be attained not by learning the pusthaka (the book) by rote, but by exercising the faculty of masthaka (the head) that the Lord has bestowed upon us. He added that the youth must possess the head of Sankaracharya, the heart of the Buddha and the hands of Janaka Maharaja. He elaborated upon the benefits that he derived upon participating in the Grama Seva and concluded by saying, “Living with God is education. Living for God is devotion. Living in God is true bhakti.”

The second speaker Kum. Divya appealed to the youths to become like a flute in the hands of the Lord. The flute is straight and hollow; if we are also like that, the Lord will take us into His Hands, fill His Breath into us and will play His melodious music through us that will delight the world. She also elaborated upon the benefits of selfless seva. She also thanked Swami for the unique opportunity bestowed upon the Sai Youth of Kerala.

		Sri Radhakrishnan, the revered Vice Chancellor, began by saying that Bhagavan’s very presence infused confidence in the devotees. He commented that the decadence of human values in all walks of life that we see today might be compared to the battle of Kurukshetra. Bhagavan Baba is doing to the world what Krishna did for Arjuna. He exhorted all to go beyond the religious level, and rise to spirituality. Being religious alone, one sometimes gets entangled in rituals, on the other hand, spirituality infuses in us the greatest confidence. Baba’s projects have established education and health to be service activities and not commercial activities. Life is not a problem to be solved, but a harmony to be enjoyed; this is possible by adhering to Swami’s teachings of Love and Compassion.
Sri Radhakrishnan talks to the youth in the divine presence

Carnatic musical offering by Sri Harihara Subramanyam, the same artiste who had sung in the morning also, followed this speech. In the afternoon, he sang the Thyagaraja KirthiManavyalakinchara, followed by Muralimanohara and NeerajaDalanayana. He concluded with Swagatam Krishna. At the end, Bhagavan materialized a golden ring for the musician. The programme ended with mangala arathi.

Thereafter, Sri Radhakrishnan, Hon. Vice Chancellor, Sri Sankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kalady, Kerala, addressed the participants at the Kalyana Mandapam. The purpose of all sadhana is to ensure optimum use of all resources, by putting a ceiling on desires. One has to go by the way of Shreyas, not Preyas.

The Third Day

On the third day morning, Bhagavan came to Sai Ramesh Hall amidst bhajans by the Sai Youth. Starting with Pashupati Thanaya, they sang two more bhajans – Hey Madhava hey and Devi Sai Ma, before Swami blessed the programme to start.

The speaker for the morning session in Sai Ramesh Hall was Sri Jyothilal IAS, Executive Director, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project, Govt. of Kerala. He narrated his transformation from IAS to SAI. In today’s world he said, IAS implies – I first, Any other person next, Service last. However, SAI implies - Service first, Any other person next, I last. He narrated how, as a boy of eight years, he escaped from the face of death due to an attack of meningitis. He was not Swami’s devotee then, but his father had prayed to his family deity Shiva and his mother had prayed to her family deity Shakthi. Bhagavan, the Shivashakthi Swaroopa came to his help, even without his knowledge. Meningitis is notorious to produce residual intellectual defects, but in his case, the opposite occurred. He developed a particular determination, began to study harder and studied in the IIT and completed his IAS – the dream aspirations of intelligent students.
		Sri Jyotilal shares his experiences

He narrated many instances to show how Swami helped him to solve various problems related to his profession and saved him from many dangers. He concluded by advising the youth to utilize fully the excellent opportunity at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan. Bhagavan materialized vibuthi for the speaker.

		What followed next was a devotional musical offering by Sri Kavalam Sreekumar and Sri T. S. Radhakrishnan. In addition to compositions of Bhadrachalam Ramdas and Meerabai, there were songs on Bhagavan composed in Malayalam. Kavalam started with the song Vinayaka Vinayaka and followed it with the Malayalam Vaanii Swari Sai. Sri T. S. Radhakrishnan then sang the song Anda kat a ham. Sri Kavalam Sreekumar then sang a Bhadrachalam composition entitled Rama Jogi Mandu and a Meera bhajan Man Re Parsi. Sri T.S. Radhakrishnan then sang the last song of the morning called Aavinam Kudi. They were ably accompanied on the flute by Sri Rajesh and by Sri Selvam on the tabla.
Sri Kavalam Sreekumar (on the left) and Sri Radhakrishnan sing for Swami

The morning programme in Sai Ramesh Hall then concluded with Mangala Arathi.

The first speaker of the sadhana class in the Kalyana mandapam was Sri N. Dhakappa, State President of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization of Karnataka. He narrated a few personal experiences revealing the Omnipresence, Omnipotence and Omniscience of Swami. He added that the best sadhana for the Kali Age is to involve ourselves actively in the activities of the Sai Organisation. The second session was by Sri B. N. Narasimha Murthy, Warden of the Brindavan Campus. He gave the four golden guidelines in the path of spiritual evolution – “Look back and thank God Look ahead and trust God Look around and serve God Look inside and see God.”
		Sri Dhakappa inspires the Youth in the Kalyana Mantap

He also narrated many experiences from his personal life to demonstrate these statements.

The third session was by Sri Sanjay Mahalingam, a research scholar at the SSSIHL. He said that the only way of liberation is to experience the pure love within. The most important step in this regard is to conquer the three kinds of attachment – worldly, intellectual and spiritual.

In the last session of the morning, Sri B. N. Narasimha Murthy clarified many of the doubts raised by the participants of the Sadhana Camp. In the afternoon, Sri Ruchir Desai, faculty member of the Dept. of Commerce, addressed the participants. He stressed that the key element of transformation is a change in attitude. He also narrated an experience to show Swami answers to even a flash of thought in the devotee’s mind. He also answered many of the questions of the participants. In the evening in Sai Ramesh Hall, Swami came to the stage, as the Kerala Bhajan Group was singing bhajans. He walked among the Sai Youth, graciously accepted their letters and materialized vibuthi for some of them. All the while, the bhajan singers continued singing their bhajans. In all they sang 11 bhajans which included Gajanana Gajanana, Radha Ke Natavarlal, Sai Baba Tera Naam, Bolo Jai Jai Kar, Mrityunjayaya Nama Om, Hara Shiva Shankara, and Rasa Vilola Nandalala.
		Swami is pleased at the progress of the conference

Bhagavan is all His Mercy and Compassion then delivered the Divine Valedictory Discourse for the Youth Camp. Starting with a small padhyam (a poem), He said,

“He is present in all beings as peace; All names are His; He is Sat Chit Ananda Swarupa; He is Truth, Auspiciousness and Beauty (Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram)”. Swami also said, “I am extremely pleased at the happiness you have experienced in the last 3 days. These 3 days passed off beautifully as 3 minutes. Your hearts are sacred filled with devotion, joy and steadfastness. Such meetings should be held f or the welfare of society.” Touching next on the importance of good company, Swami said that only the Self is present in all beings. Plain paper has no smell but takes the smell of whatever is wrapped in it like vegetables, fruits or dry fish. Likewise, the heart is pure, selfless and steady. However, due to the company it gets polluted. So avoid bad company, be in the company of people with sacred thoughts, get a good name, and lead a good life. He said that the Buddha also exhorted “Buddham Charanam Gacchami, Sathyam Charanam Gacchami” – take refuge in Dharma, take refuge in Sathya. Swami also said that there is only one God, and He resides in everyone. Just as there are many kinds of sweets, but sugar is one, so too the Atma is one though there are many names and forms. When you think that whatever happens to you is for the good then all good things happen to you.
		The Divine Discourse

Addressing the Kerala youth, Swami said – Be courageous. Acquire truth and love. Your activities and songs of these past 3 days are very good and beautiful. Whatever you do with love always bears fruit. If you close your eyes and call upon Rama, filling your heart with joy – then you can see Rama yourself. God has no desires. God always loves. Being in society, have the attitude that you are serving God through society. Everything is God. There is nothing in the world that is not God.

He further said that always be with the feeling of oneness that I AM I. After the body goes, what remains ultimately is the I. Only the I is eternal. He concluded the discourse by stating there is only one bondage between Swami and you and that is love. He also added that your Love is reflected in Me and I (am reflected) in your love. “I accept your love and shower my love on you. Live with joy and happiness”.

He concluded with the bhajan “Prema Mudita…”

A devotional song by Sri Kavalam Sreekumar followed the divine discourse to conclude the valedictory function of a memorable 3-day sadhana camp. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all the participants for Swami’s love was manifest throughout. Though they had to put up with many physical inconveniences, it was all unforgotten as they were completely drenched by His divine love. Swami even provided free food for all the participants during their stay in Brindavan. Truly, love is the only bondage between God and His devotees! [Heart2Heart would like to gratefully acknowledge that the State President of the Kerala Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, provided to us the brief summaries of the speeches given by the youth, staff, students and elders to the participants of the Sadhana Camp.]
		Partaking of Swami's prasadam

A NOTE ON THE TRAYEE SESSIONS

		Any report on Swami’s stay in Brindavan will be incomplete without mention of the “famous” Trayee Sessions. Right after the evening programme the students who have elected to spend their holidays with the Divine, the University staff still on the Ashram and a few chosen elders are invited into Swami’s home - Trayee Brindavan. It is a unique privilege and an honour that everyone cherishes. The wait is full of anxiety – Will He invite us in today? - and when the signal is given, the boys scramble to get a vantage position next to the Lord Himself, and the Lord is seated majestically on His swing at one end of the room waiting for the boys.
Swami speaks while the Warden translates

No two sessions are alike except to say that Swami is always at His informal best. Some sessions are serious with usually an elder or a staff member or a chosen student giving a speech and Swami sometimes adding a few comments of His own. Sometimes Swami chooses to speak Himself (with the Brindavan Warden translating) - either amplifying or reiterating His comments that He may perhaps have made in a public discourse earlier or else making points that He feels need to be told to the boys. Some sessions are just hilarious wherein He asks those who do not normally lead the bhajans to sing and as you can imagine it gives ample scope for merriment.

Most times He just converses with the boys or the elders asking and enquiring, cracking a few jokes but always delivering a message of spiritual import even in the most light-hearted banter. And in an understated fashion His divinity manifests at times, as for example, when He gently corrects a fact in a story that a boy is relating thus revealing His omnipresence. And of course, no summer’s ‘Trayee Session’ story is complete without a mention of the eye-popping manifestations that He so casually accomplishes – bringing forth Lord Rama’s ring, Mother Sita’s chudamani and so on just to motivate the boys along the spiritual path. And sometimes He just talks to the boys like the Father that He is telling them that He loves them and that He is preparing them for the roles that they have to play in the future to bring about a transformation in society. And the sessions usually begin and end with the taking of letters – the fervent appeal to the Lord that is a unique privilege available to all of us.
		Reading a letter from a young one

And of course, the most generous Lord always sends us all off from His abode with His prasadam - either a sweet or a mango, yet another small way to show how much He loves all of us. And it is this very love for all of us for that has brought Him down to earth to redeem humanity.

IN CONCLUSION

		There is a unique ‘race’ that happens at the end of every programme in Brindavan. As the arathi song is getting over, and the strains of “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” are fading, a few Seva Dals hurry to roll some barricades from one end of the Hall and put them in place before the deity of Lord Ganesha in the front of the Hall under the dais. And simultaneously a few enterprising ladies also hurry in a similar fashion. They have a narrow window of opportunity - just the time that it takes the Seva Dal to roll the barricades down - to go up to Lord Ganesha and take His padanamaskar before He becomes “unavailable”. And soon it is a scramble. And the seva dal does have a problem on his hands. He tries to shoo the ladies away so he could put the barricades in place. While the ladies in front try to obey him (as they have already taken Lord Ganesha’s blessings) the ladies from behind are unwilling to give ground in their attempts to reach His feet. I wonder what Lord Ganesha, sitting serenely in His place, thinks about all this confusion that happens right at His Lotus Feet.
Putting the barricades in place

While this story has its bit of humour; it is also a powerful commentary at the same time. The Avatar has been with us for 80 years and the ‘window of opportunity’ is fast narrowing. Are we also hustling to reach His Lotus Feet and hold on to Them before the barricades are in place and He becomes unavailable? Do we have the same urgency to intensify our sadhana so that we attain Him and realize the purpose of our life? Or are we taking a laissez-faire attitude thinking there is always tomorrow and wasting yet another day, yet another year, and yet another lifetime!

Think about it. Swami’s airplane is getting ready to take off. Have we ‘earned’ our boarding passes yet!

So till next time; Jai Sai Ram.

- Heart2Heart Team.