Copy
Issue Fifty Five - December 22, 2016
View this email in your browser
"When you believe that everything happens in your life – good or bad – according to the Will of God, you will always be satisfied. Only when you have faith in God, you can have that equanimity. If you want to attain self realisation, first and foremost you should believe that whatever happens in your life – good or bad- is the will of God."
-Baba
With the Blessings of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, we are delighted to present our Fifty fifth issue of Ananda Vahini.  The weekly newsletter includes interesting musings and short excerpts from the week's events.

In this issue, we bring you the videos and a report of the two awardees of 'Sri Sathya Sai Award for Human Excellence 2016', in the field of  education and health which took place on November 23, 2016.

Schedule of the wonderful Christmas celebrations between November 23 and 26, 2016 are also been given.

In this week's INNER VIEW, Brother Madhusudan Naidu shares yet another interesting moment between a devotee and the Lord.

- Sathya Sai Grama Communications Team
 

INNER VIEW


-By Sri Madhusudan Naidu
 

A few months ago when one of the devotees prayed to Swami that we should have a temple bell installed in Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham auditorium which can be rung during Arati, a tradition in most of the Indian temples, Swami readily agreed. Soon enquiries were made to secure a large bell made of five metals, 'Pancha Lohas' ( an alloy of the five metals namely gold, silver, iron, copper and zinc mixed in specified proportions) and a group of traditional artisans who are adept in metal casting were deployed to make the bell. 

Today (Dec 22), the bell which is almost three feet tall, was finally installed and blessed by Swami. 

The Trustee in-charge of the installation of the bell had come to inform about it this evening, when Swami spoke to him about the significance of the bell. 

Swami said, "The bell is an integral part of the Indian culture not merely due to its traditional use to produce the ringing sound that marks a particular religious event, or a ritual like the Arati, but because it affects us at all three levels of the body, mind and heart thereby influences us physically, mentally and spiritually. Though most assume that the bell's main purpose is to alert our minds with its sound to focus on that particular ritual, it helps us spiritually by reminding us of our divinity by the primordial sound 'AUM', that lingers around when the bell is rung. But also very importantly, it helps us in physically orienting ourselves towards God. The bell, made of metals which are also present in our bodies, influences us physically by way of a magnetic attraction power that aligns all atoms inside us, thereby bringing us to a state of peace. That's precisely why the idols of Gods are also made with the five metals, as by touching the idol or even being in its proximity will help devotees orient and align the very atoms of their bodies in that particular direction of God, and help overcome the chaos and become calm to focus better on the ritual." 

Finally, when He walked up to the bell and asked a boy to ring it, He repeated after the resounding bell, "AUM.. AUM.." and exclaimed, "See even the bell is chanting AUM."
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS
DECEMBER 24-26, 2016
Watch all the programmes LIVE on saivrinda.org

 
December 24, Saturday - 5:30pm onwards
Evening
1. Croatia Choir
2. Devotional Songs - Devotees from Argentina

December 25, Sunday - 10am onwards
Morning
1. Carols by students
2. Brass Band - Sai's Angels
3. Singapore Choir

Evening - 5:30pm onwards
Christmas Choir 


December 26, Monday - 5:30pm onwards
Evening
1. Russia Choir
2. Spain Choir 
3. Medley of songs

MR MOHAMMED REZWAN
EDUCATION
 
Mohammed Rezwan has tranformed the lives of millions in a manner envisioned by Sri Sathya Sai Baba whereby universal access to education ensures the holistic transformation of society.
 
Mohammed Rezwan's life xemplifies the adage that dreams can take wings, soaring to transform lives in a manner truly remarkable. Inventor of the 'floating school' which essentially takes the school to those denied access, either due to inclement weather or because of economic or social inequities, Rezwan has over 18 years, through his pioneering initiative of sustainable education, helped transform the lives of over half a million people in flood-prone Bangladesh.

Born in 1976, Mohammed Rezwan grew up in Natore, a north-western district in Bangladesh. Noting how many of his friends were denied education due to constant flooding, Rezwan set out on a mission of a lifetime. After completing his graduation in Architecture, he conceptualized the unique 'floating school-boat'. Finding no investor, Rezwan used $500 from his school scholarship to start a non-profit organization called 'Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha' in 1998, the year when a devastating flood inundated two-thirds of the country, killing over 1,000 people and affecting the lives of over 30 million. With no experience in fund-raising he tenaciously scoured the internet and wrote to hundreds of organizations seeking assistance. With no support easily forthcoming, he began to source local materials to build a boat. The first 'floating school, made largely of recycled materials, was completed in 2002.

At first, his concept had no takers and yet, patience and perseverance slowly paid off. One by one, parents came forward with their children and soon volunteers signed up as well.

Rezwan developed, expanded and sustained the 'floating schools' over 14 years, designing spaces on boats that successfully accommodated the needs of libraries, training and healthcare centres. He developed content used in distance-learning tutorials to create animated handouts that made the curriculum easily accessible to students. His school-boats ensured year-around schooling for children.
Remarkable indices of social transformation as a result of his enterprise include, the eradication of the practice of early marriage, the containment of seasonal migration, improved food security and a noticeable improvement in the overall quality of life. His floating school project model is now replicated in eight countries in Asia and Africa.

Rezwan is also the inventor of the integrated floating farming technique which is essentially a floating garden moored to riverbank, the 'bamboo, bottle and siren' flood warning system and the 'Surya-hurricane solar lantern' which is a low cost solar-powered lantern made from recycle parts of the conventional kerosene lantern.

Author of school books for children, articles and research reports, Rezwan is widely published and has served on international advisory committees for education, technology and environment. He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts(RSA). He regularly presents at global conferences on his innovations, climate change, green energy and education.

Winner of several national and international awards, his work with Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha won 15 international awards including four United Nations awards. He is featured in two award-winning documentary films, that depicts Rezwan's mission to help his country adapt to an increasingly globalized world. 

Below is the video on his inspiring journey
Sri Sathya Sai Awards for Human Excellence 2016 - Winner - Education Category - Mohammed Rezwan

DR M R RAJAGOPAL
HEALTH
 
By dedicating himself selflessly to the care of the poor, Dr Rajagopal embodies the philosophy of Sri Sathya Sai Baba , that the unmistakable mark of a wise man is love, undiluted love for all humanity and that service to mankind is service to God.

Dr. Rajagopal works relentlessly to alleviate suffering by proving those terminally ill with a life of dignity, surrounded with empathy ad care. His singularity of purpose and total dedication has resulted in one of the most successful community-based palliative care programmes in the world.

Born in 1947, in Muttacaud, Kerala, Rajagopal graduated in zoology from the St. Berchman's College, University of Kerala. After completing an MBBS from the Medical College, Trivandrum, University of Kerala and an MD in Anesthesiology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, he co-founded the pain and palliative Care Society (PPCS) n Medical College, Calicut, in 1993. In 1995, it was recognized as a model demonstration project by the World Health Organisation and lauded for its support to the socio-cultural needs of the region, its novel training programmes and for its roots in the community.

Over ten years, it developed into the biggest palliative care centre in the country, incorporating the Institute of Palliative Medicine, with more than 60 link centres in various parts of Kerala. Over 30% of the poor in Kerala receive free palliative care as against the national average of less than 0.5% due to the pioneering work of Dr. Rajagopal. Since 1996, Dr. Rajagopal has worked with the WHO Collaborating Center at Madison, Wisconsin, and with Government of India to improve  availability in India. This has led to the simplification of narcotic regulations in 13 states in India, as well as in uninterrupted availability of oral morphine from the Government Opium and Alkaloid factories in India. He is recognised widely as the prime mover in the development of the document, ''National Standards for Palliative Care in India"in 2006-08.

He established Pallium India, a charitable trust, in 2003 to improve the range for quality palliative care in India, concentrating specifically on areas inadequately addressed by existing organizations, with a particular focus on education and rehabilitation. In 2006, he established the Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences, in Trivandrum, India.

Dr Rajagopal is credited with several pioneering initiatives in the field of healthcare. He introduced a free anesthesia service for open-heart surgery in Medical College, Trivandrum, Kerala in 1978. In collaboration with the Department of Paediatric Surgery, Medical College, Trivandrum, he undertook a study on "Mortality in Major Neonatal Surgery"between 1976 and 1980. During this period, mortality after major neonatal surgery was brought down from 75% tto 28%. He introduced incident Monitoring as a method of medical auditing, which later spread to other institutions, thereby improving the quality and safety of anesthetic practice in the region.

With several publications, orations and special lectures to his credit, Dr Rajagopal is involved with several international organisations such as the International Association for Hospice and Pallative Care; Queen's University School of Medicine, Kingston Canada; Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia; International Association for Study of Pain (IASP) and the Harvard Global Access to Pain Control and Palliative Care.

His astonishingly selfless work to provide care to those in their most desperate hour of need, continues, unabated. 

Below is the video on his extraordinary journey
 
Sri Sathya Sai Awards for Human Excellence 2016 - Winner - Health Category - M R Rajagopal

Discourse Summary
December 18, 2016
True Education is for Self Realisation

 

What is the use of education that leads us only to death? We need to learn that education, which leads us to immortality. Our scriptures have been declaring time and again that you can’t attain immortality through wealth, activity and progeny. Only by sacrifice, you can attain immortality. We have to not only utilise the modern education for eking out our livelihood, we should also understand that true education is for self-realisation or God realisation. Scientific knowledge gives us only information but spiritual wisdom grants us transformation. All that education which does not impart spiritual wisdom cannot be called true education. What is true wisdom? To recognise oneness of all creation is true wisdom. The Vedas declare: God is one without the second.  People will call you true men of wisdom only when you recognise and experience this unity or oneness.

Managements of educational institutions are exploiting the helplessness of parents. Education is not being imparted but sold in these institutions. Greedy managements are exploiting the helplessness and poverty of parents in order to earn money. But our educational institutions and hospitals are setting new standards and demonstrating high...
 

To read more click Here 

DIVINE BOOKLETS
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has been travelling all over the world in the Subtle to keep His promise of visiting their countries. Below is the link to the Google Drive library of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s divine visits overseas.

Visit www.divinebooklets.tk or click on the link below:
 

If you would like to subscribe to receive the new Booklets of Bhagawan’s overseas travels in 2016, as soon as they are available, kindly email bhagawanspeaksglobal@gmail.com.

 
And as Swami continues travelling in 2016 and beyond, and new Booklets are created, they will be added to the Google Drive Library.
 

Divine Discourse Summary – December 15, 2016

 

What is true faith?

People come in the proximity of great ones in order to progress spiritually. However, spirituality is not an external exercise. It is the internal assimilation of this idea. Keeping a target of chanting the name of God a certain number of times can only lead to a quantitative exercise or a ritual; it may not be spiritual. What is more important is internal purity or Chitta shuddhi. Filling one’s head with pride of being aware of all the scriptures, or being a scholar in the exposition of the Vedas does not lead one to God. What God loves is internal purity. 

Faith and love for God is the basis or foundation on which spiritual practices can be built. If this love and faith is not there as the foundation, the building of spirituality cannot stand for too long. That is why it is said: Where there is faith, there is love; where there is love, there is truth; where there is truth, there is peace; where there is peace, there is God; where there is God, there is bliss. Faith in God forms the basis of the experience of God. Without this faith, doing everything else will be as good as trying to cultivate on an infertile, barren land. God loves me and will look after me. Whatever happens to me is by His will and is for my good. This feeling is true faith in God. When things go in a way that you do not want, things happen in a way that seem to be causing pain and suffering to you, when things don’t work out the way you desired, even then believing that God knows and it is His will and He is doing what is best for me is true faith.  The good that happens is also for Krishna, the thing that is not so good as you feel is also for Krishna – nothing for me. He is compassionate. He will not give you anything that you cannot bear.

God is like a parent. Man with his own desires, ego and attachments, wants....

To read more click Here 
 

Sanathana Vani is a platform to invite, associate, speak, listen, contemplate, seek, practise and realise the truth, taught by all the great beings that ever walked the face of our planet. 

A new show 'My Lord and I’ has been launched, which is a series of stimulating conversations, cutting across boundaries and barriers. Sweet stories of the Lord and His devotees from different walks of life, which are refreshing, inspiring and scintillating will be On Air every week. These will be a beautiful amalgamation of an individual’s journey from 'I' to 'We' to 'He'. 
 
Come, let’s listen, contemplate and bask in the divine bliss of the Voice Eternal, every Thursday at 1500 hrs IST and repeat at 2200 hrs IST. This week our guest on show is Sri G V Prabhakar Rao (Part III), sharing his experiences with his Lord.

A repeat broadcast of the interview with  Sri G V Prabhakar Rao (Part II), will be aired on Monday, December 26 at 0900 hrs IST and 1900 hrs IST.
Subscribe to 'Amruta Vahini', the monthly magazine from Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli today! From Divine Discourses to event updates, from photo features to travelogues, from  book excerpts to news updates, 'Amruta Vahini' is a must-have monthly magazine!

Amruta Vahini also features the series, 'Sri Sathya Sai Divya Anandam', the continuing biography of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in the subtle form, by Sri B N Narasimha Murthy.
To subscribe to 'Amruta Vahini' mail us at commsmdh@gmail.com 

We will be happy to assist you with the subscription formalities, and deliver to your home or office!
Visit www.saivrinda.org for the latest updates! Do watch all SATSANGS webcast LIVE from Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli!
Click to watch the video: 'Love in Action...The Mission Continues'
Tune in to Sanathana Vani every Thursday (IST 5:30pm), Sunday (IST 6pm), and during festivals, to listen to the LIVE satsang, streamed directly from Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli.
Share
Tweet
Forward
Copyright © *2016*
*Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutha Prakashna*, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is: commsmdh@gmail.com






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
Sai Prakashana · B103 Sai Sannidhi · Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli · Chikkaballapur, Karnataka, AP 562101 · India