Prasanthi Update

There is always a lull before the storm, one can see this in Prasanthi Nilayam before every major event - there is a quite lull before the Sports Meet celebrations which promise to be better year after year.

On Monday Morning Swami blessed the the devotees from Indonesia with Prasadam, Namaskaram and Photographs, Swami spent almost an hour with the group which made everyone happy beyond words. After that Swami went into the Interview room and came out to accept Mangala Aaarthi before returning to Yajur Mandiram.

In the evening, Bhagawan came for Darshan at around 4.30 PM and then sat on stage to witness a wonderful Drama presentation from the Rajasthan youth. The Drama was based on the Life of Baba Ramdev a legendary folk deity of Rajasathan. After the Programme blessed the Group and a few minutes after the Bhajans began, Swami accepted the Mangala Aaarthi.

The Grand New Year Celebrations and the Sports Meet opening Ceremonies are the two wonderful Events to look forward to in the coming days in Prasanthi Nilayam.

Om Sai Ram

Courtesy: KM - 30 December, 2008

Prasanthi Update - Divine Christmas Celebrations

On the morning of Christmas the Overseas devotees gathered in Sai Kulwant Hall. Swami arrived in Sai Kulwant Hall at 8.35 in a wonderful White Robe and seated on His golden chair led by a procession of children from overseas. Bhagawan also blessed the cakes arranged.

The First Programme was by the Sai University brass band, Then there was a Violin Programme by the Primary School Children and then some wonderful Christmas songs by the students. After Prasadam was distributed too and Mangala Aarti taken at 10 o'clock, Swami blessed students who came up with pictures of the Senior Students Hostel as Christmas day was also Hostel anniversary day too.

For the evening Programme Swami came to Kulwanth Hall at around 4.40 pm. The Programme started with a wonderful thanksgiving speech by Mr. John Behner from Latin America. There were also 2 Wonderful speeches by the 2 overseas speakers Ms.Gisele Sebastian from Germany and Mr. Ted Henry from the USA. After the Speeches Bhagawan gave His Divine Discourse at 5.45 pm after which a few Bhajans were sung by the students and Swami returned to Yajur Mandiram at around 7 PM.

The Full Text of the Divine Christmas Discourse will be posted later. Om Sai Ram

Courtesy: KM - Friday, 26 December, 2008 10:18 AM

Prasanthi Update - 17th December

17th December' 2008 was another landmark day for the students and staff in Prasanthi Nilayam as Swami Blessed the Tennis Courts. The Wonderful Courts of International Standard and Quality were built a long time back but were waiting to be inaugurated by Bhagawan.

Swami has been enquiring about the various programmes of the Annual Sports meet which has become one of the biggest functions in Prasanthi Nilayam. Swami ultimatey came yesterday and Blessed the Tennis Courts, Swami wonderfully went up the Stands and Blessed the entire arena and also Swam watched a Tennis Doubles match for sometime. Swami also went into the Indoor Stadium and saw a Volleyball and Basketball Match to the extreme delight of all the students and staff.

Swami spent altogether about 45 minutes in total and then went back to the Mandir and watched a wonderful Drama by the Youth Group from Madhya Pradesh and the after Mangala Aarthi returned to Yajur Mandiram

Om Sai Ram

Courtesy: KM - 18.12.2008

Prasanthi Updates

After many days where there was normal Darshan and Bhajan, Today there was a wonderful Programme by a group of Devotees from Andhra Pradesh which had everyone literally in the 7th Heaven. Their Programme was wonderfully spiritually Uplifting with great and elevated levels of Devotion, Bhagawan enjoyed every bit of the wonderful Programme.

Bhagawan came to Kulwanth Hall by 4.30 PM and after briefly going into the Interview room, Swami came on to the dais and the Veda Chanting stopped and when the wonderful programme got over it was 5.45 PM and then Mangala Aarthi was taken and Bhagawan retired to Yajur Mandiram.

Om Sai Ram

Courtesy: KM 12.12.2008

10th December 2008 - Street Darshan

Om Sairam dearest Sai Family,

By Swami's grace all is well in this holy land Puttaparthi. This morning I want to share a very sweet street darshan of our Lord. This morning just after 10 am Swami decided to go out for His street darshan which are always blissful and a very good chance for all devotees to get a close look at our Lord and experience the divine bliss. Swami after coming out preferred to go the stadium.

He went in from the Chaitanya Jyothi Museum entrance which is right next to Swami's primary school.

Swami blessed me to get inside the premises. Swami's car was heading towards the dais in the hill view stadium. Once the car came inside the school premises, Swami's car was going very slowly and it was very quiet around the car as well.

Very few devotees around, and the seva dals who run with big ropes on both sides were not around. It was a beautiful experience to run with our Lord for those few hundred meters side by side.

I was entering the hill view stadium for the first time after the memorable golden chariot darshan. The car was now passing from the same way. I thanked my stars for the divine boon for letting me in. It was just a divine feeling to compare that GOLDEN day and the same GOLDEN Lord, and running on the same path. Swami was all smiles. The stadium was very calm, with very few people around. all the colorful decorations the huge screens, were not seen. The dais which was extended for the yagna was now being removed by handful of workers. Swami slowly watched all the developments, smiling at the workers with full of love.

The car was now right in front of the dais. the car which was already slow, slowed down bit more for Swami to take a closer look at the dais which looked normal now. I was right next to Swami now. Could see clearly the tiniest pore on HIS beautiful face, which was glowing like the bright morning sun, His Lotus feet resting on a tiny nice foot rest in the car. Looking at His tiny hands, which were smoother than silk, I thought those are the hands which have done thousands of divine materializations those are the HANDS which gave food to the hungry, shelter to the needy, medication to the poorest of the poor, those HANDS are those which gave immense strength and courage for the man kind to fight the so called PROBLEMS and WORRIES and those hands are those which said WHY FEAR WHEN I AM HERE... looking at all these I was running with the car, many times, Swami sweetly smiled back at me..

Brothers and sisters, I want to share a very personal heart to heart conversation. Just a reminder of how Swami is there in every action, in every thought and every second of our life. Just four days ago, my wife Shanthi’s pregnancy report came as positive. Me along with the whole family was so excited about that and I immediately felt like running up to Swami and seek His blessings which were already there and I expressed my wish to my family. My grandmother, who was blessed to see Swami since His childhood days, said "Gone are the days my dear Satish, today, you have to be a BIG man to go to Swami and share all the good news and seek guidance". I laughed at her and told, for Swami we all are BIG and it is just a matter of time..

Thinking it was the right occasion, while the car was just passing by the dais and was heading towards the main road via Eswaramma school gate, I prayed to Swami from inside, Swami my wife Shanthi, is carrying her baby in her womb, this baby be Yours, let her be a divine child and let the baby be your humble instrument in this avatar and your loving Prema Sai Avatar which the man kind will be witnessing in a very short time. As I was offering this prayer, Swami suddenly looked at me with a sweet smile and raised His left hand to bless me. Brothers and sisters, this incident is enough to show that all our prayers reach Swami whether you say it loud or from your heart.. and He is always there to respond. I couldn’t believe when He suddenly looked at me and blessed me just an live example to show that Swami is all knowing and all caring. Even while typing this email, I can clearly see our our Sweet Lord’s instant reaction to my prayer and for a while, I thought, “did I say it loudly?”

This incident no doubt is Swami's grace and what a good fortune Swami!!!!

As the car came on the main road, instead of taking a left turn towards ashram Swami took a right turn heading towards Gopuram I went after the car and the car now came on the airport road, just passed by the samadhi of Sri Janakiramayya the chosen brother of Swami....and now the car gained more speed. Swami after reaching the petrol station took a right turn and now the car was on the road which leads to the ashram western gate. The road was very quiet with no devotees. no one in that area knew about Swami's arrival. On the way there came a sheperd. He was playing alone with his stick on the road not knowing the arrival of the Lord, suddenly he saw the tiny porte car heading and in few seconds he realised that it was none other than Swami who was coming and immediately he threw away the stick and bowed down and Swami was all smiles.. then came a herd of cows. There was one cow which was walking like a king to cross the road. Swami's car slowed down and waited for the mother cow to cross the road. If it was a minister in this particular situation he would probably have jailed the cow herder and also the cow. I am not writing this to criticise any one but just want to show how down to earth our Swami is loving all and caring all. As the car passed by there came some farmers who were drying the paddy crop on the road. Any one visiting India would have noticed this and It is a very common scene any where in India . Many farmers didn’t know the arrival of their beloved and before they realised the car passed by. Many women set aside their work and bowed down to Swami. Swami's car drove on the paddy grains. How blessed are those farmers whose hard earned crop was blessed by none other than our Swami Himself and not to forget the lucky souls who will be partaking those grains. We chant Brahamarpanam before we eat but this kind of food is already, blessed by Swami physically and it will only reach to those lucky ones whom He chooses to.

Swami's car then drove into the ashram from the western gate thus ending a beautiful quiet street darshan passing by the stadium, into the busy road and then into quiet serenic paddy fields and back to the CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE.. Prasanthi Nilayam…

With humble Pranams at the Lotus feet of our beloved Lord,

R.Satish Naik from Puttaparthi

10.11.2008

Prasanthi Updates

Prasanthi Nilayam is back to normal after the magnificent days of Bhagavatha Parayanam, Sahasra Chandra Darshanam and Bhagawan's Birthday. What wonderful Spiritual emotions were felt during those magnificent days are hard to describe by anyone who had been there or even seen it on Television.

As there have been no special events and programmes to capture, Swami has been mostly giving Divine Darshan in the evening although Darshans have been few and far between in the mornings. Swami has been giving wonderful Darshan in His Chair everyday in the evenings. Swami has been mostly moving around in Kulwanth Hall and the Bhajan Hall and sometimes resting on the Dias for a few minutes. Will send some Updates later.

Om Sai Ram

Courtesy: KM 09.12.2008

November 30th - Inauguration of SSSBPT Annexe

The morning dawned with a lot of hectic activity for the members of the Sri Sathya Sai Book trust as Swami had promised to inaugurate their new e-commerce cum storage building.. The building stood in all its majesty and grandeur just by the Supermarket stores area and it was now being readied and bedecked for the grand beginning of its life of service to the Lord. And as everything stood ready by 8:30 awaiting the arrival of Swami, the Yajur Mandir area seemed too peaceful to show any indications of Swami coming out.

It was about 9:25am when Swami came out of the Yajur mandir and proceeded for darshan in the chair itself. As He moved down the gentle slope through the ladies side, eager heads popped up and hands holding letters stretched out in thrilled anticipation. Swami collected letters and also spoke to a few ladies. In fact, right in the beginning, a couple of ladies got up to show Swami a newborn babe! Swami sweetly looked at the baby and blessed it.

Moving through the gents side which was a little empty, because of the natural lull after a heavy season, Swami collected a lot of letters. There might be a lull in terms of quantity of people but with Swami there is never a lull in the intensity with which the people long and crave for Him.

Gently gliding through the students' area, He blessed all the students holding trays. Many made good of the opportunity to touch His tender lotus feet and He seemed to be in a gracefully obliging mood for that today. Bhajans were on and Swami moved into the interview room granting a couple of interviews. After that, He moved into the bhajan hall where He sat for about 2-3 bhajans. Then, receiving Aarthi, Swami left for Yajur Mandir. He was moving in the car via the ladies side when something interesting happened near the big gate that leads from Kulwant hall to Yajur Mandir..

A little boy with both his legs fractured had been brought by his mother in a wheelchair and he was seated praying to Swami. Seeing him, Swami lowered the window glass and enquired about him. Later, much to the delight of everyone around, the car door opened! Swami asked for the child to be brought near and then slowly patted the legs in the cast! It was such a humbling sight - an answer to the mythical question that emperor Akbar once asked of his favourite minister Birbal, "Why does God descend himself to save mankind? Cannot He send any of His many attendants?" - God's love knows no reason and season; it simply gives without a second thought. As Swami gently touched the toes of the child and the cast too, He alone knows all the transformations and healing going on through that transmuting touch.

Swami then reached the Yajur Mandir entrance where the convenor of the Books and Publications Trust offered his salutations and pleaded with Him to grace the new e-commerce cum storage building with the touch of His lotus feet. Swami's word is the greatest bond in the Universe. once He says it, it is as good as done.

Swami had promised earlier and He said that in a few minutes He would be arriving at the building to inaugurate it. The good news traveled fast and far and soon devotees were headed towards today's "special" building. Meanwhile, it was the final day for the security guards who change once every month. At the end of this great month long opportunity, they too cluster around Swami to bid goodbye. The problem of bidding goodbye to God/Love is that though we may leave Him physically, we keep carrying Him in our hearts! And that ensures that a goodbye is actually never a goodbye! Swami lovingly posed for photos with them and blessed them.

Soon, Swami too was at the special "Annexe" building as it was named on the commemorative stone slab. As He got out of the car, He depressed a switch that parted the curtains in front of the slab to reveal the purpose and nature of the building. Then as the heads of the various departments of the Trust and the convenor welsomed Swami, the Vedic chanting with the Poornakumbham and the welcome song filled the air. Swami cut the ribbon to mark the formal opening of the building and also lit the lamp sending out a profound message of what He expected the "building" as a physical entity to achieve - lighting up lives and giving more people the joy of participating in His mission of Love.

Quickly He moved through some of the rooms in the building. Roses galore were offered to Him and He smilingly accepted all of them.. He was taken through the storage area where huge racks stood empty. Surely these will be full and brimming very soon for that's how it always is with Swami - He enters into lives when they are empty and once He does it fullness automatically enters too!

Swami went via the lift to the first floor where there was a nice little balcony. Swami came into the balcony and had a look at the view from there. Soon after that, Swami descended, blessing all the people who had gathered along the way. Coming out of the building, He seemed to have another look at the stone slab. As He slowly entered the car, "kala jamuns"- the prasadam- were brought to Him for blessings. He blessed them and then, receiving Aarthi, Swami left for His residence.

Om Sai Ram

Courtesy: KM 05.12.2008