SSEHV Teachers training at Bangsar Centre VOLUME 12 / 27 th January 10 th February 2009 The Sathya Sai Baba Centre of Bangsar (Sathya Sai Nilayam), recently organised a SSEHV Teacher's Training session for budding EHV gurus (teachers) and enthusiasts. As many as 30 adults and youths from Brickfields and bhajan units under the Bangsar centre attended the two-day programme which was held on Jan 17 and 18 at the centre. The day began with an introduction session with centre chairman, Prof Suresh Govind, on the necessity and importance on Education in Human Values. The following workshops session were then conducted by experienced gurus from the Klang Valley. Topics included an overview of the five human values (Truth, Right Conduct, Love, Peace and Non-violence) in education, understanding of the five teaching principles (silent sitting, prayer/mantra, bhajan/sing-a-long, story telling and group activity) and lesson planning. Various methodologies were also discussed, in terms of approach and child psychology. Participants were taught the different ways of planning a lesson using the five teaching principles.
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Some of the comments from those who attended this training: Thanks for the wonderful session!! It really helps me to think out of the box and techniques which really will help me to handle the classes better. All the speakers are consistent with their thoughts of approaching the classes. Even the small discussion about the lesson plan threw some more light on my views about the approaching techniques. Thanks for this good opportunity!! Weakness :- No weakness at all. This programme really benefited me as I am just an inexperienced balvikas teacher. I really learn al lot and understood the way to teach Bal Vikas. Thank you very much I think the sharing session helps us realize of the importance / difference we can make as gurus. The intro to each of the 5 main conduct Love, Peace, Non-Violence, Righteousness and Truth was good. What can be done is to give examples of activities done for each conduct, e.g. topic, story, etc. The lesson planning was helpful as it helps us get an idea / experience how to think/brainstorm to make a session interesting. An additional activity that could be helpful is for us to also conduct the actual session with either individual or group feedback. Teachers training programme is great opportunity for me to take part at. Before starting as a Balvikas teacher I have no experience in this, with Swami s blessing I started, he is guiding me in every week s class. With some information I got from the net, I was continuing, but now after attending the training programme I have got good teaching techniques. With the help of this I am very confident to handle Bal Vikas class hereafter. The programme was excellent move and it helps me to motivate myself to be a teacher. It was a long day (both) however it was useful and beneficial. Hope to organize another session around June/July Food was great! 3 P a g e
How a Bal Vikas Guru Made A Difference in My Life By Kugan Kumar When I was 5 years old (1986), my mom told me about this aunty who taught about Hinduism at the Nageswari temple in Bangsar. You see, I used to live just above the hill in a railway quarters, so the temple was a mere walking distance from my home. With some encouragement from my mother, I would walk to the temple and attend this Hinduism class. I had no idea what it really was but the one thing which kept me coming week after week was the teacher. There was something so unique and different about her. I used to see her carry a harmonium from her house and walk barefoot all the way to the temple. There were about 5 to 6 of us who learnt from this teacher. She taught us about Ganesha, Muruga and all the Hindu god forms. She taught me the Ganesha Mantra, Saraswathi mantra and even the Gayathri Mantra. Since attending the class, I made it a habit to chant these mantras daily and even taught my brother, sister and cousins the mantras I learnt. There was a day where the classes could not be held at the temple due to some function going on there. My teacher said, Don t worry. There is a hall behind my house. We can have classes there That was the first time I went to my teachers house. We sat in a circle near a stairs and had our usual class in this hall behind her house. There was NEVER a point where my teacher spoke about Sai Baba. I never knew about Swami at this point in my life. Staring at the stairs in curiosity, I remember asking my teacher about what was upstairs and she mentioned that there was a library with a lot of spiritual books. Anyway, after a year, my father got transferred to Kelantan and I had to stop classes. Although, we returned back to Kuala Lumpur 3 years later, I never got a chance to resume the classes. But despite no longer attending the classes, I never forgot the mantras my teacher taught me. Daily I would chant them without fail. My mother soon passed away when I was 15 years old and this daily chanting of the mantras pulled me through this very painful period in my life. In times of trouble, I always remembered this teacher and the Gayathri mantra she taught me. I never saw her again though. Swami came into my life 17 years after my first class and only then did I learn a few amazing facts. 4 P a g e
I learnt that this small hall where my teacher taught us classes was non other than the Bangsar Sai Centre and my teacher was non other than the late Ms. Shanti and the classes in which I attended were actually Bal Vikas. Just like me, I believe that there are many young adults out there who owe their success to having great Bal Vikas / EHV teachers like Ms. Shanti. What my teacher taught me helped me through the darkest moments in my life and eventually led me to finding Swami. Though physically my teacher may be no more, what she taught me 23 years ago still remain. Thank you to all Bal Vikas / EHV gurus and all teachers who spent so much of their time and effort in educating all of us young and old. Thank you Swami, for establishing this beautiful education system that we may all benefit from. God understood our thirst for knowledge and our need to be led by someone wiser; He needed a heart of compassion, of encouragement, and patience; Someone who would accept the challenge regardless of the opposition; Someone who could see potential and believe in the best in others..... So He made Teachers Om Sri Sai Ram. 5 P a g e
In conjunction with our 10 th issue, the transformation editorial team launched its new website. The aim of this website is to provide all past and current issues of the magazine for download. This will give an opportunity for those who have missed a previous issue to download it online. The website is under the Sai Council s main site and the url is as follows: http://transformation.saicouncil.org.my 6 P a g e
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THE TEEN YOUTH PROGRAMME A Provocative Summary designed as an intro for Teen Youth By Sis. Kunaveni Riddled with life s uncertainties, obstacles and difficulties, teenagers tend to be rebellious, argumentative and disrespectful. And if you ve got one at home, you d probably go, Aarrghhh!!! Here s a tested solution! Whereas a pious lecture will be seen as nagging, the Sathya Sai Educare for Teen Youth (SSE Group 4, a continuation of the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values Programme for youth between the ages of 15 and 18) incorporates innovative and dynamic techniques to subtly reach the 5 domains of the human personality! Since late 1988, this programme has touched hundreds of teens throughout Malaysia and in recent times, even other Nations, viz. Latin America, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia and Mauritius have adopted the programme after the appropriate 3-day Trainers training session! Special training of volunteers who wish to conduct this programme have been organised in Malaysia from time to time and perhaps the largest international participants was seen at the training held in Bali in June 2001 where experienced Malaysian trainers, including one from New Zealand, trained more than 100 international participants. Wondering why this programme is popular? Well, just walk through with us to catch a glimpse of this terrain-based programme. Why terrain-based? Just as the doctor cannot prescribe a standard set of medication for all his patients, this programme, which anchors itself on 5 specific teaching techniques, allows the flexibility to feed the needs of the modern day teen youth. We will attempt to give you a feel by using a very unprecedented style of the 5 techniques, viz. Mind Dynamics, Contact with Consciousness, Music N Creativity, Character Crafting and Life Games. 8 P a g e
Try this exercise. Simply close your eyes and imagine a round green lime and that you are cutting the juicy lime. You then squeeze the cut lime unto your tongue! Are you salivating more than normal? This effortless exercise translates the message that the mind has power! (Remember the pious lecture syndrome? Overcome it by the concept of self-discovery!) Your body reacts according to what you think! Bhagavan Baba said, Thoughts are things, as you think so you become!! This is merely the tip of the iceberg of what MIND DYNAMICS is all about. Now, how can we create higher and nobler thoughts in the teens? The technique employed by this programme is called CONTACT WITH CONSCIOUSNESS. Using quotations, poetry, hymns, etc., we attempt to elevate the thinking habits of the teen. We will leave you with the following thoughts. Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray! Is this true? Why? MUSIC N CREATIVITY, the 3rd technique uses modern songs which hinges on the concept of use a thorn to remove a thorn. Many pop songs carry negative messages while many others have powerful lyrics that can motivate and inspire listeners. Let us share with you one such song. Play the song I believe I can fly sung by R. Kelly while you comfortably lie on a mat with eyes closed. Capture the thoughts that appear as you contemplate on the song. In a teen youth session this activity will be followed by an in-depth discussion. Modern songs will also be critically examined and youth asked to analyse their value merit. Poetry writing is also encouraged to foster creativity and expression of higher thoughts. Composition of value-based songs is also encouraged. Using the world as a mirror for their evolution, the teen youth will be inspired by stories of great individuals present and of the past, inspiring real life stories, etc. to help them skillfully chisel and craft out their character, hence the 4th technique called CHARACTER CRAFTING. Do you know the story of the Praying Hands the portrait that beautifies many homes? Reader s Digest and newspapers contain stories of sacrifice and selfless Love these become teaching aids. Now for the final technique LIFE GAMES Life is a game, play! Living through simulated environments, the teen youth are exposed to real life situations but in a safe and secure environment. Here s a simple exercise to tease you a little. (Many of the activities under this technique would take up to 1 hour or more.) Often done in pairs, you would need say with a heavy heart (as you would feel when you are doing something that you dislike) I HAVE to wake up, I HAVE to go to the market, etc., etc for one minute all the things that you HAVE to do. Be aware of your feeling. Now you could ask your partner to do the same. Share how you both felt. Continue with the next phase of the exercise. Start with, I CHOOSE to., for one minute saying with the feelings that you choose to do them. Compare the two scenarios. Happiness in your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts! Chew on that it s a pity we cannot take this further but the teen youth in our sessions are luckier I suppose One Malaysian teen youth had this to say, the Teen Youth sessions have helped me rediscover my confidence and it is also making me a morally strong person with a solid character. Teen Youth are young youths from the age of 15-18. Sessions and activities are generally conducted at the centre on Sundays starting 3.30pm. Those born between 1991 and 1994 are encouraged to participate. For more info, kindly contact Kuna 012-396 3106 or Roshini 017-6988 659 9 P a g e
Book Review God In Our Midst Poornavathar Sri Sathya Sai Baba Dr Hiramalini Seshadri T he author, Dr Hiramalini Seshadri, is a rheumatology specialist, married to a devotee psychiatrist ("Saichiatrist"), and has two children. The doctor is an author of many articles, both on medicine, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sathya Sai Baba. Dr Seshadri hails from Chennai. This is a highly pleasing book, well written and well researched. It opens with an introductory chapter explaining the notion of incarnations of God, and avatars. The seven divine qualities of an avatar are listed: omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, all auspiciousness, the name endures forever, whose grace can accomplish the impossible, and vairagya, detachment and dispassion. Upon reflection, one may percieve that these qualities are all evident when Swami gives darshan to his devotees. The author uses a smart metaphor for maya; maya is like 'special effects' - the driver of the car, instead of being self aware that he is in the drivers' seat, mistakes him or herself for the car itself! The chapter on the early years of Sathyanarayana Raju are extraordinarily well researched and repay close reading. There are some gems in there. I found the chapter "The World Discovers Sai Baba" a good account of the many early devotees who visited Prashanti Nilayam from the 1970's and onwards. There is a crisp, succint account of the writings and leelas of these devotees, commencing with the Murphets, Howard and Iris. The journey of the author's family to Prashanti, and the tale of her Father who, although not a devotee, called Swami his "Friend" of high honour; for he had accommodated Swami in the 60's during a visit to Kerala. There is a signal point in this narrative of Seshadri's father for all devotees to note: that Swami cares for all family members be they devotees or not. This is a good book, worthy of daily spiritual reading. It blends both the family narrative and the acts of the Sai avatar in a seamless manner. Highly reccomended. Worth a second and third read. THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT THE LIBRARY OF THE SATHYA SAI CENTRE OF BANGSAR. THE LIBRARY IS OPENED EVERY TUESDAYS AFTER BHAJANS. KINDLY CONTACT KUGAN AT 017-6326687 IF YOU WISH TO BORROW OR PURCHASE THIS BOOK. 10 P a g e
. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN LEARNING THE VEDAS?? Vedic Chanting classes will begin in Bangsar Centre on the 14 th of February at 8.00am. If you are interested, kindly contact Bro. Raju at 012-2567403 11 P a g e
Too Nice to Share A young lady, Carie, was waiting for her flight in the boarding hall of a large international airport. She was feeling tired and a little lonely. As she would need to wait for a few hours, she decided to buy a book to while away the time. She also bought a packet of the best cookies she could find. She sat down in an armchair in the VIP room of the airport, to rest and read in comfort. Beside the armchair where the packet of cookies lay, was another seat and a man soon settled down there. The next minute, he opened his magazine and began to read. When Carie took out the first cookie, the man took one too. She looked at him with irritation, but he did not seem to realise how she felt; he appeared engrossed in his business magazine. She thought: What a nerve! If I was in the mood I would have said something to him! After a while, Carie picked another cookie and the man did the same again! For each cookie she ate, the man took one too. It was too annoying for her. She just wanted to get up and give the man a good piece of her mind but could not do it; she had never been able to speak up for herself, always preferring to avoid conflicts. When only one cookie remained, she thought: What will this awful man do now? Then the man, taking the last cookie, divided it in half and offered her the other half! Ah! That was too much! She was in a rage now! In a huff, she took her book and bags and stormed to the boarding gate. Giving one glance behind her, she saw the man looking at her with a puzzled look on his face. Well, some people live on a different planet, she reflected. 12 P a g e
She settled down on her seat in the plane with a quieter mind; quite relieved to be away from that illmannered human being. She now wanted to read the good book that she had carried and could not do so all along. She looked through her purse to find her glasses, and to her consternation saw her packet of cookies - untouched and unopened! Oh my God! she exclaimed and felt so ashamed. She had actually forgotten to take her cookies out of her purse. The man had shared his cookies with her, without the least hesitation...while she had been upset, grumbling within and cursing him. And now there was no chance to explain herself... or to apologize. Carie had learnt her lesson too late; she had now not only the full pack of cookies but also plenty of food for thought. If we examine closely, there are always many such dramas playing out daily in our lives. We only have to be alert and aware, and not forget our heart as we think with our minds. Can we be like the man in the story and live beyond the small world of me and mine? Swami says: It is unfortunate that people even harm those who help them. We should help even those who harm us. Let us never lose an opportunity to lighten other lives because that is the only way we can make our life bright. 13 P a g e
CHINNA KATHA - A Little Story from Bhagavan ASKING FOR THE RIGHT THING O ur faith diminishes because our ambitions are limitless. There is a small story for this. There was a rich person who had a daughter with a flat nose. The father wanted to get this girl married. Every person who came and looked at the girl used to go away, although they were tempted by the wealth. In those days, persons who could perform plastic surgery were not available. In desperation, he announced that he would give plenty of money to anyone who would marry the girl. He somehow found someone willing to marry her. The marriage was performed and thereafter the couple developed considerable faith in God. They visited many temples, went on many pilgrimages and bathed in many sacred rivers. They met a saint who advised them that no one who is involved in worldly matters can give a good nose. Only He, who created the nose, can bring it back to normal. Although they had lots of wealth, they were not happy at all. The girl used to feel that others were looking at her and making fun. She suggested to her husband that they should both go to the lonely Himalayas and pray to God and spend a month there in that manner. He agreed and they did so. The girl had a great desire to get back her nose, so she began to pray to God in great earnestness. 14 P a g e
God appeared, due to her good luck and asked her what she wanted. As soon as God appeared, she asked for the grant of a good looking big nose. God said, so it shall be and granted her the boon. As soon as God disappeared, she looked at her face. She looked at the big nose and felt that she had become uglier than before. She prayed again more earnestly and God appeared again and asked her what she wanted. She said that she did not want that big nose. God said, so it shall be and granted her the boon. She immediately found that her nose had completely disappeared. She had thought that she was praying to God for a good nose and in the process, she lost her nose completely. The moral of this story is that although God is present before you, playing with you and talking with you, you do not know what to ask, when to ask and where to ask. Not knowing what we should ask, we are asking him for one thing while really we want something else. In this process, we are getting ourselves into difficulties. God is always ready to give you all that you want, but you do not seem to know what is good for you and what you really want. Since you do not know what you should want and under what circumstances, it is better and easier to surrender yourself completely to God and simply ask for His grace. - Baba Illustrations: Ms Vidya, Kuwait 15 P a g e
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH SWAMIS 85 TH BIRTHDAY, COUNCIL HAS MADE PLEDGE TO CHANT A NUMBER OF GAYATHRI MANTRAS. THE CENTRE HAS NOW TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO CONDUCT GAYATHRI CHANTING EVERY THURSDAY AT 8PM. THE SESSION WILL TAKE AN HOUR, WHERE THE GAYATHRI MANTRA IS CHANTED 108 TIMES. THE TOTAL CHANTS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL GOES INTO THE POOL OF GAYATHRI CHANTS FOR SWAMI S 85 TH BIRTHDAY. DO BRING ALONG YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES AND TAKE PART IN THIS BEAUTIFUL SESSION WHICH IS HELD EVERY THURSDAY. 16 P a g e
Weekly Bhajans Bhajans are conducted at the centre every Tuesday at 7.30pm. Blind Home Visit This is done every Wednesday at 2.30pm where devotees go to a blind home located in Brickfields and help out in any administrative work etc. Seva @Home for the Physically and Mentally Challenged, Kuala Kubu Bahru Every Sunday, devotees from the centre go to a home in Kuala Kubu Bahru to perform Seva which includes helping to bathe and clean occupants of the home, provide food, clean the vicinity etc. The van leaves the centre at 12.30pm each Sunday. You can bring your car and follow along if you are unsure of the location. Bal Vikas Classes Bal-Vikas classes are conducted in the centre free of charge every Saturdays from 4.30pm 6.30pm. Parents are encouraged to bring their children to take part in the classes. Teen Youth Sessions Teen Youth are young youths from the age of 15-18. Sessions and activities are generally conducted at the centre on Sundays starting 3.30pm. Those born between 1991 and 1994 are encouraged to participate. For more info, kindly contact Kuna 012-396 3106 or Roshini 017-6988 659 Bhagavad Gita Classes Bhagavad Gita classes are conducted in the centre free of charge every Saturday at 4.00pm. The class is conducted by Bro.Ashok from the Geetha Ashram in PJ FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE ACTIVITIES, KINDLY CONTACT BRO.RAJU (012-2567403) OR BRO.RAVI (012-3990489) 17 P a g e
Teachers are the path-finders of the nation. They prepare the royal road to a bright future. The skill and efficiency of the people, their reliability and sense of duty depend on the community of teachers. Their virtue is reflected in their pupils; their faith inspires the young. Whether people waste their lives and ruin the lives of others by means of barren pursuits or whether people lead happy lives promoting the happiness of others the answer lies in the hands of teachers. 18 P a g e