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23rd November- Why is it so special ?
Should it not be the full moon that should be felicitated for having witnessed eighty-two glorious years of the Avatar’s Divine mission on earth!…asks Ms. Shammi Paranjape referring to the much talked about festivity in waiting. Born in Kanpur, Shammi Paranjape graduated from Delhi’s Lady Shri Ram College with English honours. She followed this up with an LLB from Mumbai’s Govt. Law College. With writing being her first love, Shammi has been pursuing her freelance journalism ever since with avid interest. She has authored a book Blossoms in the Eternal Spring, a moving memoir about spiritual discovery and the strength and joy this bestows on a person.
A thousand ‘full moons’ ago a day dawned that was to brilliantly enhance the destiny of mankind. The glorious day saw the birth of a Divine Babe, in a tiny hamlet of South-India, who would be called ‘Sathya’ (truth) and who would usher in a golden era of great moral and spiritual regeneration. The blessed dawn was a culmination of the ardent prayers of holy ones for a Saviour on earth and the fulfillment of the promise given by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita-‘ Yada yada hi dharmasya, glanir bhavati Bharata abhyutanama adharmasya, tad aatmanama srujyamyaham.’(O Bharata whenever there is a decline in dharma and rise in adharma I shall incarnate myself to save the world.)
23rd November 1926 stands for the glorious day when this Divine promise was redeemed and the Avatar of the age, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba took birth. However, to ascribe the term ‘Birthday’ – to the Birthless One – seems inappropriate; ‘Advent’ would be better suited to describe the magnitude of the event of the Supreme, Adorable and Venerable One coming into our midst in a human form! However, though Advent it is, devotees lovingly refer to it as the ‘Birthday’ of their Beloved Guru and Master and go all out to celebrate it joyously every year. Baba, the Master of supreme detachment and Embodiment of perfect bliss at all times needs no fanfare of celebrations, but devotees do! They wish to mark out the day that brought all auspiciousness to earth and made available to them, the boon-conferring feet of their Lord! No wonder then, that the day arouses a mystical fervor amongst millions around the world, those fortunate ones who have been drawn into the Divine fold. These fortunate cover people from all faiths creeds and countries as one of the principle messages of Sai is the Divine unity of man and the essential harmony of all faiths. However, what is significant is that the spiritual excitement ignited in the juggernaut of Sai devotees seeks to express itself not in wasteful expenditure or ostentation but in the upholding and celebration of the glorious ideals underlying the mission of the Avatar. Devotees know that the only ‘Gift’ that will be acceptable to Baba is to-‘Live His message.’
Every Birthday is special and significant for devotees but this year it was even more so. This was because a unique historic event called ‘Sahastra Poorna Chandra Darshan’ marked the celebrations. This is a practice enjoined by the Vedas where a human being completing eighty years or more and who has thus had the good fortune to witness a thousand full moons in his lifetime is honoured and felicitated. The Vedic right is supposed to confer all nature of blessings through the ritual poojas and the yagnas associated with it. But in the case of our Lord, should it not be the full moon that should be felicitated for having witnessed eighty-two glorious years of the Avatar’s Divine mission on earth!
A key aspect of Baba’s mission which is now manifesting itself in all richness is the restoration of the Vedas. The Vedas represent India’s richest cultural and spiritual heritage. They embody timeless wisdom and are universal. They are the fountainhead of all knowledge. It is said, that being the ‘Word of God’ Himself they contain verily the secrets of creation. David Frawly a Vedic researcher has said that the Vedas represent “the most extensive and exalted spiritual teaching the world has ever known”. Today when moral structures are crumbling and the spirit of man is being crushed under the weight of rank materialism and technological encroachment mankind needs the pure restorative injunctions and guidelines of the pristine Vedas as never before. By participating in Vedic rites and encouraging the daily chanting of the Vedas by students and devotees, Baba is building an atmosphere which will allow for the growth of Vedic culture, within the modern framework.
Every Avatar comes with a mission suited to the particular time and place. The power of the presence of a Spiritual Master is truly great and when it is the Supreme Light guiding man’s faltering steps back to the goal, the scope and scale of transformation is phenomenal. It touches all. In the furtherance of His Divine mission Baba has tirelessly been working for the welfare of humanity for eighty-two years. With His divine love, He has been melting hearts and making flowers bloom in deserts. His methods are unique and infallible. He has only one task, to foster all of mankind and establish the unity of all peoples as one. He has by His Divine example motivated the multitudes to take to righteous paths and ‘Love all, serve all’ His teachings simple on the face of it are the nectarine drops of wisdom that can sweeten life and restore it to wholesome fullness and beatitude. His story is a story full of action. And He exhorts all to follow His example even if it means folding up the prayer mat and putting away the rosary into the bag, for ‘Hands that help are holier than lips that pray’. His is the splendid inspiration behind the loving seva sweeping the world and gathering all the needy into its fold. His is the dynamic spirituality of action, where selflessness replaces selfishness and the act of seva becomes the holy offering placed at His lotus feet. His is the unconditional pure love that is touching and healing hearts and effecting miracles of transformation.
This is just a tiny glimpse into the mystique of twenty-third November… a date that will surely be circled in gold by the moving finger of time and bedazzle generations to come…
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Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday – Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1978
”The same Divine Compassion that blessed Dhruva, saved Gajendra, restored Kuchela, and stood by Prahlada has come on earth as the Refuge of the refugeless, as the Lord of Peace, Harmony and Righteousness, as the Lord of all the Worlds, as the Sat‑Chit‑Ananda-Murti, as the Puttaparthi Sathya Sai Sat Chakravarti—the King off Kings.” On the Divine Birthday of Bhagawan in the year 1978, Bhagawan elucidates on how we could give Him happiness. Read on for an enlightening discourse.
How fascinating is the face of the baby, resting in the lap of the Mother! It has no fear in its eyes; it has joy on its lips; it is full of peace. It is unaffected by those evil forces that rob man of his peace and joy‑envy, greed, anger, hatred. It has no egoistic desire, no anxiety to impress others and show off. It has no plans for the future, no regrets for the past. Its faith in the love and strength of the Mother is so unshakable that even if the sky collapses and falls, its calmness cannot be disturbed. Why is it that, when the baby grows into adolescence and manhood, this calmness and this joy disappear, giving place to fear, anxiety and hatred? The reason is to be found in the increasing mastery of the senses and their clamour for being catered to. Again, the grown person sees only the `many’; it leaves aside the vision of the One. It encounters, as a result, competition and conflict, and lives its days in sorrow, disappointment and despair.
As the child gathers more information and experience, and becomes more learned and intellectual, it sees the world as a battlefield of opposing forces and armies and therefore, it struggles for victory by devious means. Each head has its own thoughts, says the Shruti (Munde munde, mathir bhinnaah). No two agree; differences breed disputes; and finally, life becomes an arena where ego fights against ego. The situation is as bad in the medical field, where specialists who can diagnose and deal only with the illness of the eye, the nose, the throat, the stomach, the liver, the heart, the skin etc, forget that these are all unified by the organism called body, and that it is not advisable to study them separately as many distinct parts. The Universe, the Individual, the Paramatma are all inseparably unified. Scientists parade the little peeps they have of the Truth as big victories. Even the technology that Science has encouraged so far is fraught with danger to mankind. They cut up the Cosmos and the Forces behind it and specialise in minute parts and thus present false pictures of Reality.
Devotees are also caught in this game of seeing many where there is only One. They seek the path that is popular, that will bring them fame, rather than the path that can ensure liberation and illumination. They place their own idea of God in the forefront and fight for precedence and support. The Vedic Sutra—Ekoham, Bahusyam—I am One, I shall be many—is ignored. It is the One that pretends to be many. So, one has to feel the impact of the One, rather than of the many, while moving in the world.
Faith is very essential for the pilgrim on the Adhyatmic path. Man is now caught up in temporary and trivial pre‑occupations in the too short interval between birth and death, and he deceives himself by placing faith in these, rather than on truer and more lasting realities and experiences. He does not hold on to discrimination and deeper realities; so, he is carried away by every gust of doubt or disappointment.
The baby is calm and unaffected on the lap of the Mother, since it has faith in the Mother. The mother points out to someone as its Father, to another as its Grandfather and to another as its Sister or Brother. The child accepts these statements without question. The Mother creates the Faith in the Father for the child. So, too, Mother Nature proclaims that there is a Father, who has designed and who is energising and motivating these worlds; but, man does not accept it, for he has lost the capacity of Faith. Faith is the basis of every act; you do not run away from the barber because he is armed with a sharp razor. You place faith in him and allow him o give you a haircut, quietly submitting to his idiosyncrasies. You give away costly clothes to the dhobi, since you have the faith that he will return then washed and ironed. You have faith in the driver of your car, in the engineer who built your house. So too, believe in the Inner Motivator, the Atma within, the voice of God. People are going about now, advising that one should believe only things that one has `seen’ and `experienced’. Something happens somewhere and the news is published in the papers. It is believed without question. So too, believe in the experience of seers and sages, who had no other purpose than discovering the Truth and sharing it with others who are unaware of it. In India, we have had millions who believed in God and in the seekers after God, and who have themselves realised the Truth of God. This has made their lives happy and contented.
Of course, the seeker has to encounter many obstacles, both inner and outer. But, each one of them is a challenge, which must bring out his latent faith. Where there is no darkness, there can be no appreciation for light. Without the pangs of hunger, no one will seek food. It is the possibility of death that makes even the mother love the child and deal with it affectionately.
That is the reason why one saint advised his followers `Do not ask God for anything. Let Him deal with you as He wills’. Did Jatayu ask that Rama should come to him and perform the last rites? Did Sabari plead with Rama? Earn the qualifications ‑ holiness, purity, faith, universal Love; He will approach you on Foot to console, comfort and save! Purity of heart, mastery over the senses—if you have those two, credentials, Grace is your right. Imagining that Bliss is available in the outer world, men stray away from the inner path and are caught up in misery. They seek it in the family—the wife and children—and, to keep up a standard of living for them, they take to evil ways. The fundamental flaw is their belief that the Body is the be‑all and end‑all of existence. They ignore the Indweller, who has to be recognised, revered and responded to.
The Avatar is the Atmashakti, that has put on the raiment of Kriyashakti, and Yogashakti. Generally, Avatarana or the process of Incarnation, is described as a ‘coming down’ from a higher status to a lower one. But, no. When the child in the cradle weeps and wails and clamours for help, the mother stoops and takes it up in her arms. Her stoop is not to be described as a ‘coming down’. The aeroplane has to fly up above; it cannot move along the road. But, it does not fly all the time. It comes down at the airport, because there are persons there who have purchased the tickets which entitle them to journey in the plane. If you earn the credentials, the Incarnation will come and save you. If on the other hand, one multiplies one’s demerits and descends lower and lower, how can he be saved? Have Love and Ananda your heart. Ananda comes from pure sight, pure hearing, pure speech and pure actions.
The Day you establish yourselves in this Ananda that Day is My Birthday for you. I must tell you another fact. Swami’s birthday is being celebrated at Puttaparthi, because so many thousands are coming from far‑off places, in spite of great difficulties during the journey and the expense. Do not be under the impression that Swami’s Birthday is being celebrated and therefore, you are coming. I have no desire to have My Birthday celebrated; such trivial thoughts can never come to Me. My only desire is to share My Ananda with you, to encourage you to lead lives full of Ananda. My Birthday is when you get Ananda. My mission is ‘Lokassamasthaa Sukhino Bhavantu’. May all the worlds be happy and prosperous. Become aware of the unity of mankind; promote by love and service the joy and contentment of every one on earth; fill your hearts with that yearning. Then, it becomes verily, the Sai Mandir. From that moment I am where you are.
Since this morning many people have come to me with the greeting, ‘Happy Birthday!’ No one need wish for happiness for me, since I am always happy, everywhere. For Anandaswarupa why talk of happy birthday? You too must be happy, all through and not wait for the Birthday to recur every year, to accumulate Ananda.
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Everyday is My Birthday
Y.Arvind, an alumnus of Sri Sathya Sai University passed out in the year 2000 with an MBA degree. He was twice Cultural Champion, Sri Sathya Sai Annual Sports and Cultural meet and has been a Member of Sri Sathya Sai Institute Brass band Prasanthinilayam from 1992 to 1997. He was trained at AIIMS in Operation Theatre Management and perfusion technology and has worked CTVS OT of SSSIHMS, Whitefield from 2001 to 2006. Currently Sri Aravind is working as Senior Manager, Public Relations at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield, Bangalore. Read on his musings on the concept of Divine Birthday.
It all began as a single thought, years ago, on the eve of a birthday. I was nursing a mug of hot milk seated on my bed, leaning against the wall. I silently mused…
“What is a birthday?”
A voice inside my head answered… unexpectedly.
“Simple question simple answer – a day some one is born.”
That was the obvious answer. What did it really mean?
“What is being born?” I asked the disembodied voice.
“Come on! Don’t tell me you don’t know it? You come out of a womb, a bundle of flesh and bone, announcing your arrival with a cry. As time goes by, you grow up and every year on the day you were born you celebrate your birthday.”
“Is that all?”
“Well, what else do you expect? A birthday is a celebration of life. A birthday serves to remind you of the most glorious fact — ‘I am alive’.”
“That’s good! The funny part is, I am alive for the rest of the year too! Why don’t I celebrate those days?”
“Nobody’s stopping you from being happy.”
That hit me hard! It was true. Nobody could stop me from being happy. I could either choose to be happy or sad. A circumstance has no attribute of its own. And Swami has often said “Happiness is union with God.”
I was feeling pretty good about my analysis and said, “So if I am happy! If I am able to look at every day as a celebration of being alive, everyday is a birthday.”
“Bhagawan Baba has been saying this all along. He says in almost every one of his Birthday discourses, ‘…don’t wish me happy birthday. My nature is Bliss, I am always in Sat Chit Ananda…’ He is always happy because He is beyond this world. Total commitment, but total detachment.”
“What has that got to do with birthdays?”
“Did you feel bad that your birthday was over and life should be one long party?”
“Well! As I child… Yes.”
“What prevents you from celebrating every day, hour, and second?”
“People would think I am crazy.”
“You don’t have to exhibit the celebration, just be happy!”
“You are right! All I need to do is to decide to be happy and I can be happy.”
“Great!”
“But how can I be happy always…?” I said.
“I mean how can I smile when… say there is bereavement in the family?”
“My friend, I said be happy, not show your happiness… In the Sankhya Yoga Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to be equipoised in the face of both joy and sorrow, victory and defeat.”
“But what does it mean to me now?” I was trying to figure out how the qualities of a devotee apply to me and the conversation on birthdays…were we getting derailed or something?
“It means that you can be happy without showing it.”
“Alright, I am beginning to understand that happiness is a reflection of inner peace and unless I achieve that I can never be truly happy.”
“But let’s get real here,” I continued. “I am a student. Exams, classes, room-mates…you know where I am heading. It is really tough to focus on inner peace when I am in the middle of mayhem.”
“You are not listening.” The voice was soft and gentle. “Total Commitment, total detachment. Everything Swami takes up He gives His 100% to it.”
“Yes! This is the nishkama karma.”
“Now do you understand? God has come down in human form to teach man how to be human. How many times have you not heard, ‘Children of immortality!’ God wants you to be Happy! That is your true nature. If you treat every moment of your existence as new, fresh, absolutely fresh, it cannot be tainted by the world.”
“You mean I have an inner life and an outer life?”
“You never had an outer life. The world is a reflection of you.”
“I never looked at things this way!”
“Probably that’s why we are talking tonight! In one of His discourses, Bhagawan Baba declared that birthdays are moments of reckoning, a point in Time, to stop and ponder. Where am I going? Where am I supposed to go? Where am I now?
“But having been born do we not have to achieve something in life? Is realisation of one’s true self the only goal in life?”
“I know it’s hard to accept. You have to act, but don’t get attached to it. What you do in this world will not matter much once you are gone. This is a world where you see, hear, feel, smell, and touch; cognise a reality and consider it True. Yet at times you know what your senses tell you is not true.”
“Yes, we call it the sixth sense; intuition.”
“Good! Something that we do not consciously evaluate, judge or even recognise – tells us what really is. With age comes wisdom. The more common expression heard is, ‘You will understand it when you grow up.’ It refers to the evolution of mind than the body. You can choose to be happy or choose to be sad. Choose to grow older or wiser. Now that you are on the path, don’t stop walking. And don’t look back.”
“Now it makes new sense to me.”
“Good, now sleep. Remember, every day is a birthday.”
I drifted off into a slumber and awoke early the next day. It was the birthday of someone really special.
A huge birthday party had been arranged and it was only friends and family, no guests here. I was about to close the doors of my cupboard when I noticed I had not flipped the calendar. I tore off yesterday’s date page and today stared at me. 23rd November.
From where I stood, Sai Kulwant Hall granted me a view of the sea of humanity congregated to have a glimpse of their God.
The powerful chant of the Vedas rent the air. Voices roared in unison, “Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Babaji ki Jai”. A few tense seconds later the orange robed effulgence entered Sai Kulwant hall.
His palm raised in blessing, a lovely smile playing on His lips, eyes full of eternal, inexhaustible love, He moved among his loved ones. One could see the love of the Creator for His Creation. His gaze revitalising, purifying those it touched. His very presence cleansing the soul…
My team and I took up our designated positions. Folded palms rose up in obeisance. “Sahasra seersha purusah, sahasraaksha sahasrapaad”.
And up there from the sanctum a hand waved. The Signal.
I lifted my trumpet and with the rest of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute Brass Band played “Happy birthday to you…” as Swami cut His Birthday Cake.
organises the Onam festival at Prasanthi Nilayam with great devotional fervor. The entire Mandir would be aesthetically decorated and wears a festive look. The Onam festival will be celebrated for about four days with the entire Sai family from Kerala and from around the world making it to the Lotus Feet of Swami.
Lava Kusha Ramayana Drama by Students 25-May 
Burrakatha Photos 01-July-2010
