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So
Kind! So Kind!
Two
conferences were held in
Prasanthi
Nilayam,
during 1970 - the Seva Dal Conference in October
during the
Dasara
celebrations, and the All India conference of
Office Bearers of the Units of the Sathya Sai
Seva Organizations in November, during the
Birthday celebrations. Both contributed much to
stabilize and spread the Mission and Message of
Baba. Just as all rivers automatically incline
towards the ocean, likewise all individuals for
their self-improvement, should voluntarily
cooperate with each other, breaking the shackles
of individuality and reaching the goal of
spiritual unity: this is the plan of action
designed by Baba for the individual to merge in
the Universal. He considers the lone seeker,
avoiding fellowmen and involvement in society,
as a poor Sadhaka.
A single drop of water gets evaporated soon. It
cannot reach the sea from which it was raised by
the rays of the sun, unless it moves with its
kith and kin, joining a rivulet, entering a
stream, falling into a river, and flowing on.
Baba says, "Do
not consider society a trap or a trick or a
tantalizing contraption. Premayoga, Path of Love
insists upon service to fellow-beings as the
best Sadhana."
Service is the
natural expression of a person who has realized
that I and He are One, that there is no
distinction between That and This, Creator and
Creation, Energy and Matter. This Unity of all
in the One, is the philosophical basis for the
Golden Rule, "Do
unto others as you would be done
by."
"Prema,
Love is My distinctive mark, not the creation
of material objects, or the granting of
health and happiness by exercise of Will. You
consider what you label 'Miracles' as the
sign of the Divine. But, the Prema that
welcomes you all, that rushes Me to the
presence of those who seek God, of those who
suffer from handicaps on the pilgrim route,
where they are, is the real Sign, fill every
act with Love. Let no one suffer the
slightest pain, as a result of your thought,
word or deed. Let this be your Sadhana, for,
you are all; you injure yourself when you
injure another. You are Sai and all others
too are Sai. How can the hand pluck out the
eye of the body to which it belongs? I have
come to light the Lamp of Love in your hearts
so that you can, with that Light, see Sai in
everyone."
Inaugurating
the Conference of the All India Sri Sathya Sai
Seva Dal, Baba said:
"Feel
that everyone is Thryambakam, three-eyed,
manifesting as Will-Work-Wisdom,
Doer-Duty-Deed, Strength-Sweetness-Light.
Feel the God in them, and offer whatever
service you can, with discriminating skill,
with no fear of compulsion and no thought of
compensation. You need wear no uniform, nor
parade a badge. A person in distress need not
plead for help. Since it is your nature to
give and forgive, look into his eyes with
compassion and lend him the hand of a
brother. Love is borne in the womb of
Seva;
Love grows through Seva; God is Love: Love is
God. This is the truth I have come to teach.
Scatter the seeds of Love in dreary hearts
and these will sprout into blossoms of Love,
which will fill the air with fragrance; when
drops of Love are rained, river of Love will
murmur ecstatically through the vales; and,
every child, bird, beast and pebble will sing
the song of Love."
The 700 young
men and women who heard Him that day were
spellbound by the Love-charged message of
Baba.
An American
Sadhaka
summarizing the mood declared, "Let us become
dedicated workers imbued with the Sai Spirit.
Let us become practitioners of
Yoga,
the union of the Individual with the
Divine." Reports were read before the
Conference of the work being done by the Service
Units in various districts, and the Convenors of
Subcommittees placed their recommendations for
consideration. Sri Nakul Sen, I.C.S., reminded
the Dals of the spiritual ideal of
Seva.
Baba insisted
that every Seva Dal member must have a good
grounding in
Dhyana
and an unquenchable avidity for Japam.
"Without
being at peace with yourselves, you can not be
at peace with others. And, is not peace the
greatest of gifts, the most precious of
possessions?"
He asked. Baba said that the Subcommittees have
listed a variety of items of service which the
Dal can take up - the donation of blood,
literacy classes, slum clearings, cleaning the
premises of temples, Bhajans in jails, classes
in remand homes, visits to inpatient wards in
hospitals, first-aid, fire fighting, assisting
passengers alighting from trains in pilgrim
centres, etc. "Each
such activity must be undertaken with the
conviction that you are serving Sai in all
Forms."
Perhaps, at
this stage, it is best to quote from a letter
written by Hilda Charlton, "Baba told me -
walk this earth, with your head held high, your
spirits soaring, your heart open to Love.
Believe in yourself and in God within you. Then
all will go well. Wherever you look, I am there.
Wherever you walk, I am there. Whomsoever you
contact, I am in that person. I am in each. From
each, I will respond. You cannot see Me in one
place, and miss Me in another! For, I fill all
space. You cannot escape Me, or do anything in
secret, for there are no secrets with Me or from
Me. Live in perfect accordance with My laws, and
wonders will ensue!" This was the clarion
that echoed in every young heart, during the
Conference.
The 700 stayed
on for
Dasara
and so had a practical course of instruction
from the Master Himself. During the evening
gatherings, He spoke about the Self, its Unity,
the Identity of all Selves.
"Today,
every school boy knows about the sun, the
moon, the stars and even the outermost
regions of space. But not even the most
encyclopaedic scholar knows the answer to the
very elementary query: "Who or what am I? I
is the most frequently used word, it recurs
many times in conversation, I saw, I went, I
heard, I have a cold, I am a pilot, I am
angry, I hate it, I am tall - who is this I
that has these attributes, these possessions?
The
Upanishads
declare that the I is not the personalized
individual; it is not limited to the body
which it inhabits or operates. It is the most
universal of categories, the eternal
absolute, the Paramatma, It is the
Omnipresent Universal Consciousness, the
Sath-Chith-Ananda."
Baba spoke
another day in great detail about
Sath-Chith-Ananda.
"There are three desires or urges which every
'I'
has to fulfil:
1.
I must live. This is the prompting from the
core Immortality,
Sath.
2.
I must know. This is the reminiscence of the
omniscience of which the
'I'
is a spark.
3.
I must be happy. This is the evidence of the
Ananda
which is innate in the
individual."
The day after
Vijayadasami,
when the devotees were leaving, Baba told
them:
"I
eat as you do, move about as you do, I talk
in your language, and behave as you can
understand, for your sake, not for My sake. I
direct you towards the Divine, winning your
confidence, your love, your loyalty, by being
among you, as one of you. My aim is to
transmute you into spiritual aspirants so as
to enable you to know your true being,
becoming aware of the Truth of the Universe,
which is but a projection of your own Truth.
I am the inner spring in all that moves and
exists. I am the energy, the power that
propels and impels. I am the knower, the
known and the knowledge. But, I do not
display capriciously or confound you. I am an
example, and inspiration, an instruction. My
Life is a commentary on this
message."
Birthday
Celebrations, 1970! Baba directed the Office
Bearers of the Sai Seva Organizations to assist
devotees organize efficiently
Bala Vikas,
Seva Dal,
Mahila Vibhag,
Study circles,
Bhajan
groups and Nagarsankirtan.
Baba
said:
"This
Organization has spread far and wide. About
3.000 persons participated in the Conference,
although only the Presidents and the
Secretaries were invited, and no proxy
attendance was permitted. Select your path
after mature deliberation, then adhere to it
to reach the goal. The Sathya Sai
Organization is established to translate the
principles of Love and Non-Violence into
daily practice. It also promotes inquiry into
four basic problems!
The Body, what is it? Deham. (The
Body)
Am I it? Naham. (No)
Then, who am I? (Koham)
And finally, Is This That? Are This and That
separate and distinct?
The correct answer given by the sages is
Soham. (That is I) I am That.
Instead of identifying yourself with the
perishable body and the fleeting mind, know
yourself to be a witness of the passing
show."
All religions
recommend Love and Non-Violence, and encourage
this inquiry. The Sai Organization has to work
with persons of all faiths.
"If
you have love in you, you will be welcomed by
all men everywhere. I have come for ensuring
Lokasangraha - (promotion of the Welfare and
Happiness of the entire world) and so, when
you live in concord, then there will be no
discord, and your activity will certainly
please Me."
On the final
day of the Conference, Baba had with Him a list
of questions from the delegates. He spent about
two hours elaborating the answers. What is the
nature of the mind? How did creation come into
being? How can service to others become
Sadhana?
What name is best for
Japam?
Which
Yoga
can take us quickest to God? Are classes in
meditation necessary? How far can a Muslim
Office-Bearer share in
Bhajans?
Baba said that no person should act against his
conviction; that would be hypocrisy, which is a
sin against God.
Allow
the wind of doubt or the sum of despair to
affect the pot of Ananda
you have filled, and it will evaporate
quickly.
But keep the pot in the water of good company
and good deeds;
it can be preserved undiminished for
ever.
Ananda too grows when you dwell on it in
silence and recapitulate
the circumstances which yielded it -
Baba
Premayoga
would lead man Godwards. No one can train
another in meditation, or claim so to train! It
is a function of the mind. God is one, without a
second. He does not change, He is not affected,
when the Name by which you adore Him is changed.
Service removes the veil of the illusion of
manifoldness. Sleep causes dreams; Maya,
the deluding power of the Divine, causes the
apparent multiplicity. The mind is a bundle of
desires that has formed itself around the ego.
Resolve to achieve success in the
Sadhana
of
Japam
and Dhyanam,
Bhajan
and service. Be an example to others in these
matters, that is the way to inspire and
lead.
With a
rambling, rampant ego, you have to keep your
mind balanced. You should not yield to emotion
or passion. The attachment to the senses and the
sensory world must be transmuted into attachment
to the Lord, so that the sweetness of Bliss may
fill the heart.
"The
conviction that I am everyone and watching
everything must keep you on the straight path
of Sadhana through service and study. I would
like every active member of these
Organizations to bubble with joy at the work
already achieved and with enthusiasm for the
work ahead. Love, respect, tolerance, mutual
cooperation, forbearance - these must flow
from the hearts of all towards all. You are
all limbs of one body - the Sai
Body."
No wonder the
devotees from across the seas were caught in the
mood of divine adoration, and sang in chorus
during the
Dasara
Festival:
Sai
Baba! Sai Baba! So kind! So kind!
He is our mother, sister and
brother
All in One!
He is the Earth, Air and Water
Moon and Sun
Sai Baba, Sai Baba
So kind, So kind!
He is the all we shall ever be
That we have ever been
We are here today and tomorrow
So that He can help us see!
Sai Baba! Sai Baba! So kind! So
Kind!!
Bhajan by
devotees: Dhimita Dhimita Dhim Dhim -
MP3
- [Text]
Sadhana,
according to Baba, helps to discover the Inner
Reality of our being; which appears to be
encased in subtle and gross elements. Although
we are under the spell of these elements, the
Avatar
is beyond them and controls them. Our descent
commences when we identify ourselves with these
elements, and believe in the obvious frivolity
of difference. These elements have to be
pierced, through
Viveka
(discrimination),
Vairagya
(detachment), and
Vichara
(enquiry) in order to lift ourselves from the
plane of animality. Sometimes this process lands
us into the most deep-rooted falsehood, the Ego
(the Ahamkara)
which is the last hurdle keeping us away from
the awareness of God. With a mind withdrawn from
without, and steadied in silence, it can be
conquered.
Whatever
talent a person has, should be dedicated to the
service of the rest
of humanity, indeed, of all living beings.
Therein lies fulfillment.
Dedicate your talents to the service of all
beings - Baba
Soon after the
birthday festival was over, Baba went to
Bangalore, and stayed at Brindavan. What
happened in the month of December is an epic in
itself.
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Bhajans
Dhimita
Dhimita Dhim Dhimita Dhimita Dhim
Nache Bhola Nath
Nache Bhola Nath
Mrdanga Boley Shiva Shiva Shiva Om
Damaru Boley Hara Hara Hara Om
Veena Boley Sai Ram Sai Ram
Nache Bhola Nath (4×)
Meaning:
Lord Shiva dances in ecstacy with the tune,
"Dhimita Dhimita Dhim". Along with it the drum
vibrates with the sound, "Hari Hari Hari Om",
Mrdanga (clay drum) chants the auspicious name
of, "Shiva Shiva" and Veena (string instrument)
vibrates chanting, "Hari Om Hari Om Hari Om" and
"Sai Ram Sai Ram".
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Written by
N. Kasturi M.A.,
B.L.
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