Prasanthi Diary: January 1st-2nd, 2009 - By a Sai Devotee

January 2, 2009

January 1, 2009

New Years Day (2)

The ashram was serene after the morning events. The darshan hall was mighty stuffy, mind you. Almost immediately, there were loooooooooooooong queues at the Indian Canteen and the North Indian canteen. I gave them the go-by and went to the Western Canteen, where there was huge crowd, some even sitting on the floor by the nativity scene. (Jesus-Isa-on-the-Lotus is seated adjacent the vibhuti bowl at the moment)…

I got a lovely serve of pasta, it filled my plate, and I didn't even ask for it. 57 rupees, said the lady at the desk. (I got some ice cream too. It was the coldest ice cream I have ever eaten.)

After a refreshing lunch, I took rest and returned to the ashram around 4 PM, and went to the Books and Publications Trust where we waited as the Seva Dals sang their bhajan and waved the arathi flame. After wandering around inside a bit (I had my reading glasses this time) I went outside and purchased two calendars and a copy of the Christmas Day discourse. 82 rupees, the kind fellow said.

By now some of you will have read this Divine Discourse elsewhere on the Internet and you will note that I made no reference to being afeered of bombs, which Swami spoke to on that day. I had a word with Swami about that, yes, he made me forget all of that.

Oh, the bakery was open. I checked the lists, and there being no vege-rolls (my favourite, although they are a bit spicy and make me belch) I treated myself to a pizza, which an ashram dog watched very carefully as I ate.

There is a black Labrador on a leash who goes around with a couple of fellows, I suspect he is a detector dog of one kind or another. A very friendly dog, all the children run up and pat it.

As I finished the pizza, I could hear Ganapathi Prathana being chanted, and I realised that Swami had come out so I wandered down to the darshan hall, and yes, Swami was there out the front in a red robe. That surprised me somewhat, I have only ever seen Swami wear red on Convocation Day.

The students played some musical numbers and it was stacks-on-the-mill in the East Prashanti Walkway as the Seva Dals closed it and made a path for students to move the prasadum into the hall. It got very, very squasho there for quite some time. Reminded me of a peak hour train. Nobody moving as the prasadum was passed hand-to-hand into the darshan hall.

I moved up to the Workshop area and sat a while. Much to my surprise, two people nearby gave me some mosquito repellent, which I applied liberally. Birds came home to roost in the trees. Swami's melliflouous voice came over the speakers, a divine discourse was commencing.

It was a long discourse, and Swami said something in English which confused me as I had not heard the previous two or three sentences clearly, so it is best you get the official translation on the web or via Sanathana Sarathi. Swami cracked a couple of light-hearted jokes at the end, "You have sat here for a long time on this pleasant evening, and if you still have doubts, then doubtlessly, you will clear those doubts and everybody laughed. Truth, truth, truth, doubtless you will clear all those doubts with Truth, Truth, Truth", and everybody laughed again. It was a wonderful moment.

January 2, 2009

Forge the Bond of Love

It was a quiet morning in Sai Kulwant Hall. When I arrived, I noticed that the students were all seated in the centre of the Hall. Speaking of students, that reminds me; you know the other day, I told that Swami called for arathi after three bhajans and departed? Well, He went to Poornachandra Hall where all the students were waiting for him. Swami called C. Srinivas to give a talk, and I am told that among other things, Srinivas said that the Sai Youth were not to be a separate group, but join in and be one with the organisation as a whole. Swami then gave a talk, and spent over an hour answering the questions of the students. They wanted more time with Swami, but he told that they had been there all morning waiting for him, and it was important for them to get a meal and get a break.

In the darshan hall today, there was a large, and I mean large group of Sai Youth from Maharashtra and Goa. About 3000 all told. That's a big group and they had a large area in the darshan hall for their seating. I notice there were different bhajan leaders this morning, and I very much appreciated that. Tere nam ek sahara really echoed through Sai Kulwant Hall.

Speaking of groups, there is a New Zealand group here; they have a choir, and are awaiting Swami's call to sing.

The madding crowd? Gone! As quickly as they came, they left (which is not unusual for New Year's Day). There was this huge collection of coconuts at the front of the Ganesha Shrine yesterday, and the sweet smell of coconut milk pervaded the ashram entrance.

Friday in Prashanthi Nilayam - Divinity in ordinary. Divinity is everywhere. Just like Swami told in the discourse last night, if you seriously concentrate on this I you keep speaking of, the Self will manifest immediately. Self, I, Atma, Brahma, Vishnu, all synonyms for the one and the same God.

Swami spoke a lot about the mind, about self inquiry, going hither and thither to find God. Waste of time and expense. No mantra is needed, simply enquire within your self, or focus on your name and form of God. If you do that, you will acquire the qualities of Divinity.

Swami told that if you focus on the Sai Form, you will always have Sai with you. Forge the bond of love; it is love that has brought you all here to Prashanti Nilayam, and the bond of Love is unbreakable. You may have sickness, you may have faults, failings, temper, habits, make mistakes, but never, NEVER give up the Bond of Love with Swami. This bond of Love will stand for all time, Swami told.

Body changes, body grows old, but the Atma is eternal, changeless, and witness to everything. Atma is with you always. If people ask you who you are, use all these synonyms for God; say I, say I am Atma, I am Brahma, I am Vishnu. So much, he spoke in English. Brother,sister, family, all temporary relationships. Husband, wife, husband gives a ring to the wife, wife gives a ring to the husband (at this point Swami materialised a diamond ring) this is the ring they give, this is round, this is diamond, this is eternal. Relationship is temporary. Only God is eternal.

So Forge the bond of love and you will have Swami's Love. Nothing else in this world is your wealth. Alexander the Great when he was dying was carried around with his hands raised, a long line of medics and doctors followed. People asked, what is the meaning of this? Alexander the Great was dying, he came into this world with nothing, he will leave with nothing.

Only things that are eternal are human qualities, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Truth, Right Conduct, Love, Peace, Non-violence. (All in English) … Education is run along commercial lines; we do not need Education but Educare, elicit these human qualities within and lead a human life. Mineral, plant, animal, human; only the human has these qualities.

Forge the bond of love and you will have Swami's Love

Courtesy: http://saieditor.com/spirit/