Prashanthi Bulletin - September 3rd-4th, 2005

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Prashanthi Bulletin

Index of earlier Bulletins

September 4th, 2005 Sunday morning, there was no Darshan. Delegates dispersed at

8.30 a.m. from the Mandir for attending the sessions at the College Auditorium.

In the evening, the Valedictory function of the Conference was scheduled.

Bhagawan came out for Darshan at 4.00 p.m. After taking a full round of the

Kulwant Hall, Swami sat on the dais, with four VIP delegates seated next to Him

one either side. At 4.10 p.m. Dr. Goldstein introduced the speakers for the

evening. The first speaker was Dr. Michael Rakoff, medical director for an

Health Maintenance Organization in Maryland, who has been providing consulting

assistance to Hospitals. The highlights of his talk: * Our job is to change

ourselves and not the world. * Guidance given by Bhagawan to the speaker -

Spirituality is only an idea in our mind. Focus on Truth, Compassion and Love.

* When any person becomes sick, they first fold their hands

and pray. Doctors must take note of this point. * Whenever we serve others we

are actually changing ourselves. The second speaker was Dr.Venktaraman

Sadanand, Fellow in Paediatric Neurosurgery at the Childrens' Memorial Hospital

at Chicago and adjunct Professor of Game Theory at the University of Guelph. The

highlights of his talk: * Swami says He is always in our heart. Then can we not

give Him an audience in our mind? * Let us not ask how many patients have we

seen or how many talks we have given, but let us ask how much have we given

away while serving the patients? * What is most dear to us must be sacrificed.

Love till it hurts. * Being a physician is a double edged sword. On one hand is

the opportunity to act as an instrument of the Lord to serve the sick and needy

and on the other hand is the temptation to associate ourselves with the feeling

of doership and become egoistic. * Bhagawan is the real Doer. He is the

beginning of even the Big Bang.

* Spirituality is a Science. One cannot ignore it. It impacts our lives. * An

event can become an experience only when it transforms us permanently. * We can

be either active or passive proponents of Bhagawan's Message. Passive by just

being good and being a role model and active by communicating to others how

Values and Love can be integrated in one's actions. Swami materialized a gold

chain for this doctor and put it around his neck amidst loud applause. At 4.45

p.m. Dr. Safaya came onto the dais and gave his concluding remarks. The

highlights: * Medicine is at crossroads. When there is tremendous scientific

development in the field of medicine on one side, there are millions still

suffering from ailments on the other side. When we have microsurgery and

nano-technology coming into medicine on one hand, there are simple diseases

troubling many millions on the other hand. * There is a global change required

in the direction and approach to Health

Care. * Greater Visibility is required for the marvelous work done in the two

Super Specialty Hospitals at Parthi and at Bangalore. * How do we remain

connected to exchange our knowledge and our experience? * A new project started

at Bangalore Hospital is the follow-up research on patients after their

discharge. To identify whether the treatment has really made an impact on his

life, whether he has actually started supporting his family or productively

contributing to the society after his cure. At 5.05 p.m. Dr. Goldstein

delivered his concluding remarks. The highlights: * He recalled how Swami made

him reduce his fat by starting with a 'gentle word' followed by a 'bitter pill'

and then 'operation'. The worst part came when once Swami, while he was entering

into the interview room door, told him that next time if he grew fatter, he

would not be able to enter that door. This was the turning point for him. * The

most important principle of Sai Health Care

is Love. * Economic status or strength of an individual should not determine the

quantity and quality of healthcare given to him/her. * There is a need to draw

up a global feasible plan to promote Sai Ideal Healthcare. At 5.15 p.m., when

all the talks were over, Bhagawan distributed Mementos to all the speakers and

members of the Working Committee of the Conference. Brother Ashwin, our former

student, working in the Bangalore Hospital was the Master of Ceremonies for

this event. Subsequently, Swami asked Dr. Goldstein to invite the VIP delegates

seated next to Him to come and share their impressions. Punch lines from each

speaker: Dr. Anil Nanda, Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery

Louisiana State University Health Science Centre - Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo

Bhava, .....add Patient Devo Bhava for a doctor. Dr. Ramachandran Coopen,

Assistant Clinical Professor of MedicineHarvard Medical School - When we

doctors serve a patient,

let us remember it is the Divine who serves the Divine. Dr. Kanwaljeet S. Anand,

Professor of Paediatrics and Neurobiology at Arkansas Childrens Hospital - There

are four pillars of pediatric care - Purity, Prema, .... Mr. Kalyan Ray, Senior

Advisor, office of the Executive Director of the UN - 'Sai Net' project is a

story of Love and Compassion, reaching out to the poorest of the poor in Kenya.

Swami has shown an alternative feasible healthcare working model for the whole

world! With a pure heart and an intention of selfless service, nothing is

impossible. Bhajans commenced at 5.50 p.m. Prasadam was distributed to all.

Bhagawan took Aarti at 6.10 p.m. and drew the curtain down on the International

Sai Medical Conference leaving all the delegates in sheer joy and thrill.

September 3rd, 2005 The Sai Kulwant Hall was beautifully decorated to mark the

International Sai Medical Conference. There were beautiful

floral decorations on the dais and the pillars at the front of the dais. Floral

hangings were also beautifying the rooftop of the front part of the Hall

leading towards the middle of the Hall. Chairs were placed in the front blocks

and even in the area leading to the Gopuram gate to accommodate the 800 plus

delegates coming from across the globe for the Conference. There were doctors,

nurses, administrators, and other health care professionals attending this

Conference. Bhagawan came out at 8.10 a.m. for Darshan. As the car approached

the center of the Hall, it took a turn and Swami went out into the Ashram

Premises. Bhagawan went to the Double-Decker Hall adjacent to the Books and

Publications Building and inaugurated an exhibition on Sai Medical Care. The

car returned to the Kulwant Hall at 8.40 a.m. Swami then sat on the stage

amidst Vedic chants. Dr. Goldstein, Chairman of the International Sathya Sai

Seva Organization, began the proceedings with his introductory

remarks. Few highlights from his talk were: * Human life is a gift given to us

to realize our innate Divine Nature. * Body and the mind are tools to be used

by the spirit. * Doctors must first have faith in spirituality. * If the

doctors are full of Love and Compassion, God will work through them. * Selfless

service, means doing the best we can with our abilities. This transcends the

worldly and mechanical flaws and leads to perfection. * Our goal as part of His

Grand Mission must be to uplift God Consciousness of the world through Selfless

Service. At 9.05 a.m. Dr. Safaya, the Director of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute

of Higher Medical Sciences (Prashanti Gram and Bangalore), addressed the

audience. Highlights of his talk: * The basis of Sai Health Mission is Love -

Divine Love. * Doctors should learn to see a patient as a human being, not

merely as one who has come seeking for treatment. * Medical practice must

become a holy

Sadhana where both the giver and the receiver are Blessed. * The aim of Sai

Health Mission is Arogyam - Diseaselessness (Absence of disease or prevention

of disease). * Create awareness of the process of being healthy. * Need of the

hour - Humanization of health care - Treat with Love * The doctor only treats;

it is God who Heals * When God can Himself Heal, why hospitals - they are for

our Purushartha - our evolution. Dr. Safaya briefly elaborated on the success

stories of the Secondary and Tertiary Health Care being provided in the General

and Super Specialty Hospital located at Parthi and Bangalore. Dr. Goldstein was

followed by the keynote speaker Dr. Alan H. Gradman, Chief, Division of

Cardiovascular Diseases at the Western Pennsylvania Hospital at Pittsburgh,

USA, as well as Professor of Medicine at Temple University School of Medicine.

He narrated some of his experiences and his impressions on seeing healthcare as

practiced at Bhagawan's

hospitals. At 9.55 p.m., Bhagawan stood up to deliver His Divine Discourse. At

the beginning, Swami asked Prof. Anil Kumar to mention that though all others

have spoken in English, Swami will be speaking in Telugu. This Avataar has

chosen to address large gatherings in Telugu. Highlights of Bhagawan's

Discourse: * The One who is present everywhere all over the Universe, the One

who confers devotion on all and the One who resides in Parthi, He is the refuge

for one and all. * Man exists only by Divine Grace, not merely by food, clothes

and money. * It is the bounden duty of every man to think of God. Merely going

through texts and acquiring great degrees is not adequate. This is just bookish

knowledge. How did mankind survive before the publication of books? * Without

Educare what is the use of education? Educare means being aware of the

consciousness latent in all. However, man is not aware of this consciousness in

him. * Mere education is just

negative. What can you achieve by this artificial education? * Man goes all

around the world to acquire this education. On the other hand, Educare can be

acquired wherever you are. Without thought, how can you express in word? * Only

one who knows his true identity can be called educated. We ask everyone, who are

you? But who am I? * When asked where do you come from, you say India. How can

you limit yourself to India? It is your body that has come in India, but your

consciousness pervades everywhere. * For the question, who are you; I am I is

the right answer. * This is my body, this is my mind...Mind is like a mad

monkey, body is like a water bubble. You are not the body, you are not the

mind. Mankind has become monkey mind today. * To know the reality, we must

transcend the mind. Educare is all about knowing the Self. 'i' is Aham. Get rid

of the Aham (ego) and develop equal mindedness. Without the Self, body has no

value. * Today as we are more

conscious of the body, there is more and more worry in the world. Such life is

artificial. * 'I' is present in everyone. The fundamental 'I' has neither

beginning nor end. It is only the vesture (body) that is put on by the 'I'

which has a beginning and an end. * When a beggar prays - Bhavati Bikshan

Dehi...by Dehi, he means the indweller. Knowing this is true education. *

Publications of books are only for a living. Can one become educated merely by

knowing how to read and write? Can one become educated merely by earning

degrees? Can one become educated merely by earning wealth? * What is the reason

for restlessness in the world today? It is because of lack of peace. Why is

there lack of peace? It is because of the lack of the knowledge of the

fundamental 'I'. * Secular knowledge is very essential in this world. But

consciousness is very important. This is present everywhere. Isaavaasyam Idam

Sarvam - Iswara Sarva Bhootaanaam. * There are so many sweets, but

the sugar is same in all. * When you say, so and so is my son. You are only

referring to the body. All this is physical relationship. Do not encourage

this. Feeling at the physical level is negative. * When I ask boys, where is

God. They will say everywhere. But when I ask, where is your brother, they will

point to a physical form. All that is identified with the physical body is zero.

But you all are heroes. Body is like a passing cloud. We identify with it and

get carried away. * This body is gifted for the fulfillment of a task assigned

to you. But even educated people get too attached to their body. This leads to

misery and sorrow. Give up body attachment and promote attachment to the Self.

Attachment to the body will bind you to birth and death. * What is the use of a

100 years of life spent in duality? Rise above duality and be worthy of

humanity. Enjoy the Bliss in unity. * Having all worldly attachment and seeking

Divinity is foolishness. Give up all that

and hold on to Divinity. Bhagawan concluded His Discourse at 10.10 a.m. with the

Bhajan Prema Mudita Mana Se Kaho, which He sang sitting down on His chair. Text

of Bhagawan's Discourse is given at the Book Trust Website. Prasadam was

distributed and Bhajans were going on in the background. Swami took Aarti at

11.20 a.m. and retired by 11.30 a.m. Something that very rarely happens in

Prasanthi Nilayam - Swami being out so late in the morning! The other sessions

were held in the Institute Auditorium from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. After this,

all the delegates returned to the Mandir. Swami came out at 4.30 p.m. and sat

outside for a long time amidst Vedam Chanting. He spoke to a few doctors and

created a ring for one. Bhajans began at 5.35 p.m. and at 5.55 p.m. Swami went

in for a while and took Aarti at 6.05 p.m.

You can see an illustrated version of happenings at Prashanthi Nilayam in the

Prashanthi Diary of our monthly e-Journal Heart to Heart. The previous issue of

Prashanthi Bulletin is available here. The Photo album contains photos of events

of past Prashanthi Bulletins. Index of past Prashanthi Bulletins... Source:

Radio Sai WebsiteSeptember 5, 2005http://radiosai.org/pages/PB.htm