Sai Spiritual Education Newsletter Issue 1 January - March 2007 SSE Activities Classes From 10.15-12pm Soar Valley College Ages 4 to 16 Years Weekly Assembly Monthly Bhajans Monthly Library Study Circles Workshops Swami says watch your Words Actions Thoughts Character Heart Contents 1. What is the Greatest Dharma? 2. What is Maha Shivaratri? 3. Glory of Rama Tattwa 4. Did You Know? 5. Fun Page Activities 6. History of SSE 7. Hall of Fame 8. Competitions! Celebrations Makar Sankranti Sunday 14th January Maha Shivaratri Friday 16th February Chinese New Year Sunday 18th February Mother s Day Sunday 18th March Ramnavami Tuesday 27th March This first SSE Newsletter includes articles and fun activities with information on celebrations and Sai Spiritual Education for all the children and parents to read together at home. The aim of the newsletter is to encourage parents to get more involved with SSE and work with the gurus to support the child. We would love to hear your comments and ideas for the next issue in June. So let us all come together in harmony for the future of our CHILD Children; the leaders of tomorrow. Sai Spiritual Education Where each child can blossom into Human Excellence 1 PARENT TEACHER
Kasi is a sacred centre of pilgrimage. Thousands of devotees visit this holy place of Lord Shiva with great faith and devotion. It is their belief that by their pilgrimage to Kasi, they will earn the merit to reach Kailas and attain freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Once on Shivarathri, Parvati asked Siva Lord, do all those who visit Kasi earn the merit of coming to Kailas? Will all these people come to Kailas? Lord Siva replied It is not possible for all pilgrims of Kasi to come to Kailas. I will show you here and now what type of people from amongst them can come to Kailas. Just see Siva and Parvati assumed the forms of an old couple. Parvati came as an old woman of eighty years and Siva as a man of ninety years. Both of them came to the main entrance of the temple of Lord Visweswara. Parvati sat there keeping Siva s head in her lap. She begged all devotees who were entering the temple Oh devotees, will anyone of you be kind enough to pour some Ganga water in my husband s mouth to quench his thirst? He is in a dire state that he may die any moment. I cannot leave him alone and go fetch water. Kindly help me After taking a bath in the Ganga, were carrying Ganga water in small vessels into the temple. On hearing the old woman, some of them remarked, Oh, what a nuisance! We have come for the darshan of Lord Visweswara, but this old couple are coming in our way. They said Wait, we will have Lord Visweswara Darshan first and then we will pour water in your husband s mouth and they went away. In this manner, none paid any attention to her request. 2
As there was a big crowd of people near the main entrance, a thief came there with the intention of picking the pockets of people and snatching the necklaces of women from their necks. On hearing the old woman s cry, he asked her Mother, who are you? What makes you come here? The old woman replied we came here to have the darshan of Lord Visweswara. But my husband has fainted due to intense thirst. I am begging everyone to pour some water in his mouth. But nobody has shown any compassion towards us The thief did not know what to do. But he said mother, I am a thief by profession and have committed only sinful deeds so far. I have not done a single good deed. This act of pouring water into this old man s mouth is the only good deed I can claim to have performed With these words, he poured water into the mouth of the old man. As the thief was ready to pour water from the dried gourd he was carrying, the woman said, son, wait a bit. My husband may die any moment. Kindly speak about any good deed that you have performed before pouring water in his mouth. This is my desire She also told him not to speak an untruth. That very moment, Lord Siva and Parvati appeared before him in their real form and said to him Son, human life is meant for the service of others, not for leading a life of selfishness. Though you have done many sinful deeds in the past, today you have a done a noble act of service with the feeling of serving others. You have spoken the truth. From now onwards lead a sacred life. There is no greater dharma than adherence to truth, and no worship greater then serving others Blessing like this, they disappeared. 3
Maha Shivratri or Shivaratri (Night of Shiva) is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 14th day in the Krishna Paksha of the month Phalguna in the Hindu Calendar. The most significant practices on this day are offerings of Bael (Bilva) leaves to the Lord Shiva, fasting and all night long vigil. The Third Eye: The third eye of Shiva, which is located on his forehead, is the eye of wisdom. It is the eye that looks beyond the obvious. Thus he is known as The Lord with Three Eyes. The third eye of Shiva is also popularly associated with his untamed energy which destroys evil doers and sins. The Cobra Necklace: The whole Universe with the living and non-living beings is destroyed. Death comes to all, but the Supreme Lord is unaffected by this destruction as all the Universe dissolves into him. The cobra necklace represents Death and destruction, by wearing it around his neck the Good Lord assures everyone that Death cannot approach him as he is infinite. Rudraksha: Shiva wears wrist bands of Rudraksha which are supposed to have medicinal properties. Matted hair (Jata): The flow of his matted hair represents him as the lord of wind or Vayu, who is the slight form of breath in all living beings. Thus it is Shiva which is the lifeline for all living being. He is Pashupatinath. Tiger skin: The tiger is the vehicle of Shakti, the goddess of power and force. Shiva is beyond and above any kind of force. He is the master of Shakti. The tiger skin that he wears symbolizes victory over every force. Tigers also represent lust. Thus sitting on Tiger skin, the Good Lord indicates that he is beyond the temptations of lust. 4
Crescent: Shiva has on his head the crescent of the fifth day (panchami) moon. This is placed near the third eye and this shows the power of Soma (the sacrificial offering) which represents the moon. It means that Shiva has the power to create something along with the power of destruction. The moon is also a measure of time; thus the Crescent also represents his control over time. Sacred Ganga: Ganga, the holiest of the holy rivers, flows from the matted hair of Shiva. The Good Lord allowed an outlet to the great river to travel the earth and bring purifying water to human beings. The flowing water is one of the five elements which make up the whole Universe. The Drum: The drum in the hand of Shiva is the originator of the universal word aum, which is the source of all the languages and expressions. The drum is known as "Damaru". The Elephant & Deer Skin: Shiva also wears elephant skins. Elephants represent pride. Wearing elephant skin, the Good Lord indicates that he has conquered pride. Similarly deer represents the jumping of minds (flickering mind). Shiva wears deer skin which indicates that he has controlled the mind perfectly. The Ashes: Shiva smears his body with cemetery ashes (Bhasma). This points to the philosophy of life and death and the fact that death is the ultimate reality of life. 5 The Vibhuti: Vibhuti is three lines of ashes drawn on the forehead that represents the essence of our Being, which remains after all the malas (impurities of ignorance, ego and action) and vasanas (likes and dislikes, attachments to one's body, world, worldly fame, worldly enjoyments, etc.) have been burnt in the fire of knowledge. Hence vibhuti is revered as the very form of Shiva and signifies the Immortality of the soul and manifested glory of the Lord. The Trident: The three points of the Good Lord Shiva s Trishul symbolizes three functions of the triad the creation, the nourishment and the destruction. The Trident, in the hand of Shiva indicates that all the three aspects are in his control. As a weapon the trident represents the instrument of punishment to the evil doer on all the three planes spiritual, subtle and physical. Another interpretation of the three headed trident is its head represent the past, the present and the future. The trident in the hand of Rudra indicates his control over the present the past and the future. Do Not look upon Shivaratri as only a annual festival. Deem every night as a Shivaratri (Holy Night). Whatever and whenever you entertain sacred thoughts and contemplate on God you have Shivaratri then and there. Shivam means goodness, it calls for the removal of egoism. The elimination of the ego makes all the difference between Shivam and Shavam (a corpse). - Divine Discourse on Shivaratri 1997
The Name of Rama is sweeter than sugar and the best of honey; It is more tasteful than curd too; As you go on repeating the name of Rama, It tastes like nectar itself. Hence, repeat the name of Rama with all your heart, with utter sincerity. The Ramayana has been described as the story of Rama, the ideal man. In fact every human, in a way is Rama Himself, when he lives the ideals of Rama Though thousands of years have passed since the story of Rama was first written, the inner story of Ramayana is being enacted every moment of our life. The principle of Rama is ever fresh, ever new and embraces all creation. The story of Rama teaches us how a man should live in the world conduct himself in the family as well as in society. There are three syllables Ra, Aa and Ma in the word Rama. Ra signifies Fire Aa signifies Sun Ma signifies Moon The primal sound Aa which is the sun principle, dispels the darkness of ignorance. Ma which is signifies the Moon principle, cools the inner heart. Ra which signifies the fire principle, destroys illusion. Hence, the name of Rama contains the Vedic Message: Aasthoma Sad Gamaya Tamasoma jyothir Gamaya Mruthyorma Amrutham Gamaya Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi Lead us from falsehood to truth Lead us from darkness to light Lead us from death to immortality Peace, Peace, Peace 6
Imagine there is a bank, which credits your account each morning with 86,400, carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, every evening cancels whatever part of the you had failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every pence, of course! Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is Time. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the tomorrow. 28,800 seconds sleeping 18,000 seconds in school 5,400 seconds eating 3,600 seconds travelling 1,800 seconds bathing 1,800 seconds tidying and cleaning up 7,200 seconds doing homework And 3,600 seconds give or take Total = 66,600 to 70,200 seconds So now we are left with 16,200 to 19,800 seconds left (that s 4½ to 5½ hours!). How do we spend this time that we remain with? Mostly watching T.V! Which is a waste of time! Lost forever. Around 18,000 seconds are lost every day, never to return. Spend your seconds wisely! Time Waste is Life Waste - BABA So how do you spend your seconds? Well, we worked out that an average child spends 7
Young budding writer Ishaani Kotecha won a regional (East Midlands) Bedtime story competition against talented contestants. This competition was derived from Hamilton Library in connection to family learning group; therefore the whole family had taken part. This five year old won first prize in Leicester and came second in the Midlands; such an achievement at this young age is worthy of applause. CONGRATULATIONS!! An Interview with Ishaani Kotecha and her Mother: How did you hear about the competition? The family learning officer informed us of this competition and aided us in the progression of the planning of Ishaani s story. What gave you the idea (inspired) to do a story about Sasha? Initially the name of the dog was Fizz but in the concern of Copy write, Ishaani decided to call the dog Sasha. Formerly the idea came about from a real event from our lives. When Ishaani was three we went to a fair, I was in line to buy some cakes when little Ishaani decided to have an adventure and wondered of unseen which resulted to her getting lost. Similarly in this story, Sasha the dog went wondering in her own adventure. How did you feel when you found out you won; Ishaani? VERY HAPPY!! I jumped with joy! What were the other great opportunities and Honours were you given upon winning? We had an interview with Chris Baxter. We also appeared on the east midlands news. Ishaani won a book voucher. Ishaani received a certificate from the BBC, and we also had a tour of the BBC. They set the tour so that Ishaani was able to take part in a workshop there which involved messy play with food to promote healthy eating. Other than that, this competition inspired the school to involve children more with literature and set writing a story as a school project where everyone had to write. Furthermore they held a celebrating party at the Hamilton library for all the participants. Have you got any advice for those budding young writers out there? Ishaani comments: Lot s of sweeties!! It s a lot of fun but its hard work. It has to be planned in stages the beginning, middle and end. It also has to be suitable for an age group, for example this is a happy story for Ishaani s age group (5-6). Likewise the idea of the chocolate fountain originated from a trip to town with the visit to Thornton s and a cup each from the chocolate fountain just like Sasha the dog. The visual image of Sasha was in the memory of late Sally the dog; whom was a family member to Ishaani s Aunt. Thank you to Ishaani and Mina (Ishaani s mother) for sharing their experience. 8
The Education wing of the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation in India was formed during 1969 and called Sri Sathya Sai Bal Vihar. In the October 1975 issue of Bal Vikas Magazine (India) Professor Kasturi wrote, "We used to call it Bala Vihar once; that meant we intended it to be the play-way in child education. But Sai Baba changed the name to Bala Vikas ; that meant, we ought to make it the flower-way of child growth. Vikas is what the bud does, when it blossoms into a lovely flower." The early beginnings of the Bal Vikas movement were quite simple. During the 1950s and early sixties, Sai Baba had repeatedly urged parents to fulfil the spiritual needs of their children. He insisted that parents should take up the responsibility of molding the character of children who in turn would shape the destiny of the nation. Baba said: Children are the crops growing in the fields, to yield the harvest on which the nation has to sustain itself. They are the pillars on which the foundation of the nation s future is built. They are the roots of the national tree, which has to give the fruits of work, worship and wisdom to the next generation. Divine Discourse, 10-7-1974 "It was mostly mothers who started informal Bal Vikas Education through devotional group singing, teaching stories and japa, telling stories from the epics and puranas." Following the prompting of Baba the mothers changed their attitudes from My children to Our children and opened the Bal Vikas classes to all children in the village or neighborhood, irrespective of class, caste or creed. To one who is new to the Sai Organisation it might seem at first that the Bal Vikas or SSE movement is the early beginning of yet another religion, with its focus on Sai Baba and His teachings. Yet Sai Baba has stated very clearly that He has not come to start a new religion, or to draw adults and children away from the religious practices they already follow. Rather, He has come to "repaint the signposts on the highway to God". This message of the equality of all religions was given not only to the Bal Vikas Gurus on many occasions, but also to the students attending Bal Vikas classes. To them Sai Baba said: There is only one religion the Religion of Love, and only one God who is omnipresent. All are the children of God, and so you must develop an attitude of respect towards all religions and live in this spirit of universal brotherhood. - Blossoming Human Excellence (1983) More information on SSE in the next issue of the Newsletter. End of Education is Character - Baba 9
E C H I N E S E G U N T G I M R A B B I T E H W X H A T N O M I W N M I V T T I D C G Y I W S N A K E R X E E C M H J X E Y A H R A R O O S T E R G O P R E N E G R V H O R T T K K C O F U N N S F G J E I A D O G H E J Y N Y J T B O A R H O X I - want - peace I is ego want is desire Remove ego and desire and you have peace - Baba Ox Monkey Boar Goat Rooster Ethnic Dog Rat Tiger Chinese Horse Rabbit Dragon New Year Snake 10
Newsletter Name competition We are looking for a new fresh idea for the name of this newsletter. We are interested in the input of our readers to find a new dynamic name. To enter the competition, think of a suitable idea for a name and give it to your teacher with your name and age. Mother s day Poetry Competition This is the special day to celebrate our beloved mothers, their love, their care, and their sacrifices, like our beloved mother Shree Satya Sai Baba. Mother s Day Poetry Competition is due in Sunday 18 th March. Name Competition is due in Sunday 29 th April. To enter this competition, simply write a poem about MOTHERS or your mother. Give in the competition entry to your teacher with your full name and age. There are three age groups for the competition: 6 9, 10 12, 13 15. Enter the competitions to win!!!! 11