/ 25 th August 2008 Ganesha Abishegam & Gayathri Chanting God has provided man with everything he needs and uses. Abhisegam is done as a way to thank God. Milk, ghee, curd and honey provide sustenance to the body, and are used to perform the abishegam. It is also believed that with the abhisegam. God will provide the devotee with continued prosperity, just as a seed once planted and cared for will return the favor with its fruits. Agama Sastras have stated the results of doing abishegam with different materials such as, milk will increase one s life expectancy. On the 23 rd of August 2008, a special Ganesha Abishegam was conducted by the youths of the centre organised by the Youth Coordinator, Bro. Suhu. The abishegam started at about 6.30 am and was led by Bro. Saminathan. About 14 different items were used in the abishegam which included yogurt, milk, vibhuti, coconut water, paneer and many more. The abishegam lasted almost 2 hours ending at about 8.30am. Next was the chanting of the Gayathri Mantra for 1008 times. The Gayatri (Vedic prayer to illuminate the intellect) is the universal prayer enshrined in the Vedas (Divine Knowledge), the most ancient scriptures of man. It is addressed to the Immanent and Transcendent Divine, which has been given the name 'Savitha', meaning 'that from which all this is born Sathya Sai Baba
Bro.Suresh, the chairman of the centre delivered an inspiring talk on the signifance of the Gayathri mantra in our daily lives. He quoted Swami on numerous occasions and reiterated that we should never give up the Gayathri Mantra. Bro.Suresh also shared on how the chanting of the Gayathri Mantra should confer the Buddhi Shakti and lead us to a higher purpose in life. Swami says, The Gayatri is considered as Vedasara -- "the essence of the Vedas." Veda means knowledge, and this prayer fosters and sharpens the knowledgeyielding faculty. As a matter of fact, the four mahavakyas or 'coredeclarations' enshrined in the four Vedas are implied in this Gayathri mantra. So the Gayatri mantra has been given to you as a third eye to reveal to you that inner vision by which you may realise Brahman.[ 20-6-1977]. After this short talk, Bro.Suresh initiated the Gayathri chanting of 1008 times. Youths took turn to lead the chanting while the ladies offered flowers to the image of Gayathri. A large photo of Gayathri was provided by the Nageswari Amman temple of Bangsar for this purpose. The chanting ended at about 12 noon. Meaning of the individual words from the mantra: (taken from http://www.sathyasai.org) Om: The primeval sound Bhur: the physical world Bhuvah: the mental world Suvah: the celestial, spiritual world Thath: That; God; transcendental Paramatma Savithur: the Sun, Creator, Preserver Varenyam: most adorable, enchanting Bhargo: luster, effulgence Devasya: resplendent,supreme Lord Dheemahi: we meditate upon Dhiyo: the intellect,understanding Yo: May this light Nah: our Prachodayath: enlighten,guide,inspire 2 P a g e
Once the chanting of the Gayathri Mantra for 1008 times was completed, Arathi was taken and some Prasad served. Vibhuti and flowers from the abishegam were packed and distributed to all those who attended the prayer. Some photos from the event: 3 P a g e
Watch excerpts from Bro.Suresh s talk on the Gayathri mantra at our You Tube site. Visit www.youtube.com/sainilayam now! Krishna Jeyanthi Celebrations by Bal-Vikas Students Krishna Jeyanthi is actually the celebration of the birth of Krishna. The birthday of this marvellous child is celebrated as a festive and sacred day on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Sravana called Avani in Tamil which corresponds to the English months of August-September. The festive day is known by different names. Some call it Krishna Jayanti day. A few call it Janma Ashtami day, while a good many call it Gokula Ashtami and Sri Jayanti. On the evening of the 23 rd of August, Bal-Vikas students of the centre celebrated Krishna Jeyanthi. It started of at about 4.45pm with a short bhajan session followed by the message of the day presented by Aunty Shashi. At about 5.00pm there was a small procession consisting of Year 1 and 2 Bal-Vikas students carrying a small Krishna statue into the centre with candle lights and placing it on the altar. Once the Krishna idol was placed on the altar, the children performed a short dance. This was then followed by a spontaneous bharatanatyam performance by two children. 4 P a g e
Once this was over, Arathi was taken followed by short cake-cutting session. Some prasadam was served later to all those present. 5 P a g e
Featured Article: Moving From Illusion To Enlightenment The Fish and The Bird Like a fish living in an ocean covered on all sides with water, so also is man enveloped on all sides by the veiling power of the supreme spirit called Maya or illusion. This maya therefore is often termed as The Divine Enchantress. The fish lives, grows and has its being in water and dies in water. It knows of nothing else. So also, is man drowned in this Maya. How then can a fish understand the sky, and the bird which flies? How can a fish even understand the concept of freedom? How can a fish even yearn to be like a bird in the sky? The fish here is the jivi, or the individual, and the bird refers to the spirit. Man craves for freedom consciously or unconsciously. He struggles, suffers and toils not knowing what will free him from the shackles that bind and weigh him down. He seeks freedom from this Bhava Sagara or the ocean of life. We see this pining for the oversoul, the Atman, in his poetry, the arts, his emotional outpourings, plays, music, mental imagery, etc. Like a fish in water which can only imagine and ruminate about the sky, Man seeks economic freedom, political freedom, freedom of expression, etc. but rarely seeks freedom from the thralldom of the senses, from the coils of body consciousness, from desires, from the 6 inner enemies, which alone can free him from the clutches of Maya. At long last, man develops dispassion for things of this evanescent world, including the noble infirmities of name and fame; he finds that it is spiritual freedom or mukti alone that can liberate him from all bonds, and then his life gains a new vision, a new momentum, a holistic attitude and a new direction. The child which had been playing with toys all along, finally throws them away and calls out for its mother, and the mother comes to him. The Truth or Brahman is finally realized through His Grace, as it is man s true nature and his birthright. Attaining Beatitude How does Swami help us take us away from the negative aspect of life or Maya? Swami says Maya is neither the truth nor untruth. He calls it a halftruth at best. It is a fact that life after life one has been fed (and brainwashed) on half-truths. Rather than more learning about the Truth, we must do some proper unlearning and cleansing, to get rid of the mountain high crystallized superstitions (as Swami Vivekananda puts it) of half-truths that weigh us down and block our vision. This is our priority. 6 P a g e
Bend the body, mend the senses first says Swami. End the mind comes last. The negative thought processes in man, are what constitutes the warp and woof of the mind and Maya. All self-centred worldly thoughts, sense enjoyments and attachments constitute negativity. This is counteracted by positive thought vibrations, by dwelling upon the selfless nature of the spirit. Constant dwelling and contemplating on these lofty positive aspects of Brahman and developing a wealth of spiritual thought and feelings for the divine, followed by corresponding selfless actions and a holistic attitude towards life, helps the individual shed its selfishness and attain to its final true state of beatitude. Swami often says to his devotees, I am ready - are you? Be ready! The photographer always asks you to be ready before clicking your photograph, but God may click at any time and one has to be ready all the time. Therefore choiceless awareness needs to be developed at all times by the spiritual aspirant through practicing namasmarana, or chanting of God s Name, selfless service, etc. How Can The Fish Fly? Coming back to the fish and bird story, there is one way for the fish to turn into a bird and fly, and that is through the process of evolution. The fish evolves to be an amphibian like a frog, later a land reptile, gradually evolves wings and turns into a bird and flies in the sky. From being surrounded by water, the evolved being is now free from water, and surrounded by the sky. Similarly, in the case of the jiva or the individual, who is surrounded by Maya, evolution is not so much at the physical level as the human body is a perfectly developed instrument. It is touching the domains of the vital, emotional, psychic, and spiritual levels of man, that the inner man (subtle body) can develop and undergo transformation. Eluding Illusion Swami has beautifully explained how one can conquer this maya with an analogy. Swami says, Maya is like the ferocious watchdog guarding the gate to your master s mansion. To get across, you have to do one of the two things. Either you fearlessly grapple with the dog and overcome it to reach the master; or else, you call out loudly and pleadingly to the master in the house. The master hearing your cries, may come to the gate and take you in. The dog will be totally subdued that way also. So one must be strong and steady enough spiritually not to be affected by the all-pervasive illusion and see through it every time; or a much easier option is to call for the Master, the divine Lord. With His grace, the illusion will disappear and will not raise its hood as long as we are under His care. 7 P a g e
The Two Techniques for Overpowering Illusion Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the great Saint of India, explaining the same issue used to say Maya is like the big net that the fisherman throws into the water to catch the fish. All fish fall into the trap of the net except two types. The very small fish escape through the holes in the net while the very large ones, due to their sheer size and strength, tear the net asunder and escape. Dasoham The First Swami explains the idea through two types of devotion that a devotee can practice - Dasoham and Soham. In the Dasoham form of devotion, the devotee prays, Lord, I am only your servant and surrenders unconditionally to the Lord. The devotee s ego diminishes day by day and is finally subdued. This is one way of escaping through the net of illusion when you become smaller than the holes in the net of illusion. Hanuman from the epic Ramayana, Swami says, is the ideal example for this. In the court of Lanka, when the demon king Ravana asked him who he was, Hanuman, though one of the mightiest warriors of earth, said, I am a servant of Lord Rama. Always at the service of Rama, never did Hanuman think twice when Lord Rama entrusted him with any task in the whole story of Ramayana. The Second Way - Soham The other way of extricating oneself from the clutches of illusion is the Soham or Shivoham form of devotion. Here the devotee through spiritual enquiry and acquisition of right knowledge recognizes and realizes the Brahman or the supreme spirit. The devotee starts identifying himself with the Universal Spirit and feels I am That. Jesus Christ, towards the end of his earthly sojourn, declared I and my father are one. There are many enlightened saints who could visualize the unity of creator and creation. For them everything in the world around was God and they too were no different from the creator. When this happens, he breaks the net of illusion - just like the big fish - and merges with the universal consciousness. Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Adi Sankaracharya of the modern era are exemplars of this form of devotion. Therefore the solution lies in opening one s heart and training the mind either way. What is outside, Swami says, is actually a reflection of the inner being. And there is a beautiful story Swami narrates to illustrate this. 8 P a g e
It s All in the Mind Once Krishna wished to bring to King Dhritarashtra s notice, the difference between his two cousin princes, Yudhisthira and Duryodhana. Krishna called Duryodhana and told him that he wanted to do something important and that he was on the lookout for a good man with good qualities. He asked Duryodhana to look for such a man. Duryodhana searched the world over for a few days and said that there was no person with really good attributes and if there was anyone with good qualities, the best was himself and that he came nearest to the ideal. Then Krishna sent Duryodhana away and asked Yudhisthira to come. He told him to look for a man who is very bad and whose qualities are such that there can be no one else worse than him. Yudhisthira searched the world over and came back and told Krishna that he could not find anyone, it was himself. He said that he fits the description which Krishna gave. For Duryodhana to say that he was the best man and for Dharmaraja to say that he was the worst man, the world is not responsible. The qualities in them and the way they look at themselves and at others are responsible. Krishna thereby proves to Dhritarashtra that good and bad in the world are projections of one s own quality of the mind. What is within oneself, is seen without. The realization and practice of this truth is one of the significant milestones for a spiritual aspirant. Literally it is the light at the end of the tunnel. Purifying one s own inner self will purify the world around us. Just like a person wearing red glasses will see the whole world red. Mother Teresa saw only God and love everywhere, be it a toddler, or a dying man. Forbearance, humility, cheerfulness all reflect in one s personality when there is inner purity. Purity A Must For Enlightenment No purity of the heart - no enlightenment! It is as simple as that. No amount of verbal pyrotechniques or intellectual gymnastics can liberate the seeker, if the heart is filled with ego, pride, anger, etc. Swami says The magnet is very powerful, but it attracts the iron filings only if the filings are free from rust. There may be diamonds and pearls, etc. but the magnet will not attract them. The task of the seeker is therefore to free himself from the rust and dust of the life of worldly illusion, the thralldom of the senses and body consciousness. Immortality is the goal - love, perfection and freedom follow in its wake. As Swami says; Morality is the only way to immortality, The end of Knowledge is Love. The end of wisdom is freedom The end of culture is Perfection. 9 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 15-17 (Form 3 to Form 5). Classes and activities are conducted at the centre every Sunday at 4.00pm for teen youths. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE ACTIVITIES, KINDLY CONTACT BRO.RAJU (012-2567403) OR BRO.RAVI (012-3990489) 10 P a g e
VINAAYAKA means one who removes all obstacles in the way of fulfilling any action.vinaayaka also demonstrated the truth that His Divine parents (Parameshwara and Paarvathi) were the two to whom he owed his birth and existence and whom he should seek as his redeemers. This is the reason he is described as Vinaayaka and Vighneshwara (The Lord of Obstacles). He is also called Ganapathi--the Lord of all the Ganas (the host of spirits). Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ganesha Chaturthi Celebrations Ganesha Chaturthi (sanskrit: गण श चत थ ) or Ganesha Festival is a day on which Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees. It is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi in Sanskrit, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu, Chavath ( चवथ ) in Konkani and as Chathaa (चथ ) in Nepal Bhasa. It is celebrated as it is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). Ganesha Chaturthi will be celebrated at the centre this Wednesday at about 4pm onwards. Pooja will be conducted and a small procession will be done around the housing area of the centre. All devotees are encouraged to come support and attend this prayers. For more information on this, kindly contact Bro. Raju (012-2567403) 11 P a g e
Thirst for Krishna, for seeing Him, hearing Him, His Flute, for installing Him in the heart, in the mind, for grasping His Reality through the intellect--this thirst is the healthiest, the most conducive to peace. Devotion to Krishna is the chain by which the monkey mind can be fastened and subdued. Transmute all the desire with which the senses torment you into the thirst for Krishna and you are saved. Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba 12 P a g e