SWAMI’S BIRTHDAY MESSAGE

Value-based education programmes, Navaratri yagnas & Global Akhand Bhajans made the weeks extra special.

LOVINGLY YOURS

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A little notebook changes Neil’s take on life. And saves a stranger from near death. Read on!

DIARY OF A SEEKER

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We visit one of the oldest temples in India—Somnath—and delve into its fascinating history.

TICKET TO GOD

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Underprivileged students get ahead with free coaching classes at Sai Deep.

CHANGING SOCIETY

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Finally, a nutritionist rubbishes all the food fads and takes a good, hard look at what really works.

Ink imprints

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A rabbit thinks she can outwit Mother Earth. She learns an unforgettable lesson.

SOUL STORIES

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What can you learn when you’re being tossed around in empty space? A lot, we say!

MULTIPLEX MUSINGS

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Youth in Eternal Service

Issue 11 Nov - Dec 2013 A Magazine by the Sai Youth of Maharashtra and Goa Issue not for sale

Stunning New iPad® App!Archives: www.srisathyasai.in/yeswww.facebook.com/YES.Mag.SSSO

“Embodiment of Love! The Divine has no special day, earmarked as (His) Birthday. The day when you cultivate holy thoughts, attitudes and modes of behaviour in your hearts, the day when you decide upon some activity of pure unselfish service, that is the Day of Birth of the Divine for you.”

“Aum Sri Sai Ram. The YES! mag speaks of true stories happened with so many people and are still happening. It’s all Swami’s Grace on His devotees. Keep it up.” ~ VD Shori

“Greetings from Malaysia, Sai Ram. I was drawn to Swami’s quote on the cover of your magazine. The stories thereafter were so heartwarming and inspiring. Your articles are written and arranged very well, and I like that you add a fun element to it. Keep up the good work and looking forward to reading more articles.” ~ Shamini DassTh

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A value-based education programme entitled ‘Sai Parivartan’ was organised on November 16, 2013 by Thane Samithi to emphasise the importance of Sri Sathya Sai Village Integration Programme and Bal Vikas. School principals, teachers, and government officials from education and village development attended this programme.

LOVINGLY YOURS

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Prof. G. Venkataraman, eminent scientist, recipient of the C.V. Raman Centenary Award, Padma Shri award from the Government of India, author of numerous books and articles, former Vice Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and the current Director of Radio Sai Global Harmony, visited Maharashtra & Goa from October 4 to 7, 2013. He addressed top educationists, industrialists, college students at Mumbai, Pune and Goa, and stressed the need for India to become a Moral Super Power as emphasised by Bhagawan Baba rather than a Material Super Power. Shri. D.P. Sawant, Minister of State for Medical Education, Higher and Technical Education, Special Assistance, and Non-Conventional Energy graced the occasion with his presence even as Prof. Venkataraman explained how a robust

moral base can be achieved by integrating Human Values in basic education at all levels. He showcased how the Sathya Sai way of educating students readies them for all-round success.

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The Mulund-Vikhroli Samithi carried out repair work of all cots and beds at Sarvodya Daramshala in Ghatkopar. Outstation patients being treated for Cancer in Mumbai reside in this dharmashala on a rented basis. As many as 50 new cots and beds were provided to the happy residents of the the dharamshala.

A series of yagnas were performed at the sacred precincts of Dharmakshetra, over 9 days, for World Peace and Harmony, as part of the Navratri celebrations.

Sister Swati Kagalkar visited Dharmakshetra in November 2013. Along with her troupe, she addressed differently-abled men and women from all over Mumbai as a part of Bhagawan’s 88th Birthday celebrations. Her talk encapsulated Swami’s life and Divine Messages. The evening’s programme ended with Aarti and the distribution of Mahaprasadam.

A 24-hour Global Akhand Bhajan for Global Peace and Harmony was held on November 9 and 10, 2013, in 132 Sai Centres all over the world. In Maharashtra and Goa, devotees thronged to the bhajan venues and spent the entire night singing the glory of the Lord in His many divine forms.

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Events and Festivals Zestfully Celebrated by All

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Youth in Eternal Service

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In an age where education has become a ‘commercial industry’, teaching free of cost is quite unheard of. Amost every student joins multiple coaching classes, which demand exorbitant fees. Parents reel under the burden of inflation and the ever-increasing needs of their family. Yet, they feel compelled to enroll their children in these classes, even if it means having to slog for extra hours and pay through their noses.

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba always emphasised the importance of imparting value-based education, with zero commercial benefit. Swami, ever empathetic towards the growing financial stress of parents, set up world-class educational institutes, which lovingly impart the best education, from Kindergarten to Post Graduation (including MBA and PhD), without charging a single paisa!

Having inherited this Divine Teaching of our beloved Lord, a dedicated group of 30 Sai Sevaks (volunteers) from Navi Mumbai, took it upon themselves to start a free coaching class for underprivileged students.

Named ‘Sai Deep Coaching Classes’, this free class was started 9 years ago in the premises of Sai Prem (the Sri Sathya Sai Centre in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra). When the classes were first started in the year 2004, many teachers did not know about Sri Sathya Sai Baba or His massive humanitarian services. They were delighted to learn that the coaching would be free—and were eager to offer their services too! The idea of helping students gain confidence and earn better grades without charging them greatly

appealed to these selfless teachers. Till today, these well-qualified professionals offer their vast experience and expertise without demanding a single rupee.

As many as 70 students sign up at Sai Deep every year. Classes are conducted for students in 8th, 9th and 10th standards. In 2012, coaching was started for standards 11 and 12, for both Science and Commerce streams.

Apart from academic excellence, Sai Deep attaches importance to moral values, which are the crux of any institute under the auspices of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation. Counselling, personality development, career guidance, Maths and English workshops, Science exhibitions, cultural programmes, service activities, and distribution of scholarships are zestfully undertaken at Sai Deep. With Swami’s Grace, Sai Deep receives cent percent results every year!I Will Return to Sai Deep and Teach

Jayashree Chavan, a 12th-standard Sai Deep student, first heard about the classes 5 years ago through her school, ICL High School, Vashi. She enrolled immediately. Ask her what she enjoys most about the classes and Jayashree will promptly tell you how much she loves the teachers and their meticulous way of imparting knowledge. She soaks in the atmosphere, which she feels is akin to a temple that purifies her thoughts and

boosts her concentration. Jayashree admits that she was an

average student before she joined Sai Deep. Two years ago, she scored a whopping 82% in her 10th standard board exams. Without hestitation, Jayashree attributes her success to the Sai Deep teachers. Keen to ‘give back’ to the classes that have given her so much, Jayashree has resolved to teach at Sai Deep once she finishes her higher education.

All of 17 years, Jayashree feels a strong connection with Bhagawan. “He guides me whenever I have a problem,” she says, rather matter-of-factly. Her family, who had earlier not heard of Baba, is now wholeheartedly devoted to Him!

I Jumped from 60% to 72%

Swati Pacali had never scored above 60% in her exams. But ever since she joined Sai Deep 5 years ago, her marks have improved dramatically. In the 10th standard board exams, Swati achieved 72%, much to the delight of her family and teachers.

Apart from doing well in academics, Swati actively participates in a host of service activities organised at Sai Prem. Her dedication has enthused her family too! Her parents now aid the Sri Sathya Sai Medicare team that regularly renders service at Sai Prem.

Having greatly benefitted from the education received at Sai Deep, Swati encourages her friends to come to Sai Prem and attend bhajans instead of roaming about aimlessly and whiling away time on movies.

Sai Deep is indeed an inextinguishable lamp in the lives of these children.

CHANGING SOCIETY

ticket to goD

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Baba’s words, always significant, are even more so, when you think of the history of the Somnath temple. It is said that this is where the Moon god prayed to lord Shiva and was blessed. It is believed that he was the first to build a temple here, of gold. The temple and the Lord take their name from the Moon God – Soma. The golden temple was succeeded by a silver one, built by Ravana, another great devotee of Shiva, long before his greed led to his downfall. The silver temple was followed by a simpler, but intricately carved temple of wood, built during the reign of Krishna at Dwaraka. Krishna shares an even more interesting connection with Somnath. It is here that He left His final footprints, and it is from here that He chose to return to His heavenly abode. No wonder, the Lord chose to return here in His present avatar, to re-energise the temple He was so closely connected with!

The Somnath temple has seen great times as well as terrible ones. The oldest structure here dates back to 649 AD. However, the temple, known for its wealth and richness, was repeatedly

ransacked by invaders across the centuries, culminating with Aurangzeb building a mosque over the ruins. In 1783, the temple gained a new lease of life when Ahilyabai Holkar built a temple on an adjacent site, where she installed the Shiva Lingam in a chamber under the ground, to protect it from future invaders. In a chamber over this original Lingam, she installed another Lingam, one named after her as Ahilyeshwar Mahadev. It was in this simple temple constructed by her, that prayers to Lord Shiva continued unabated until modern times, when a grand temple was constructed at the original site after India gained independence. It was in 1962 that the present temple was completed, and soon after, that Baba added his blessings, thus adding to its protection.

The present temple is a beautiful structure, built in the Chalukya (a royal dynasty that ruled southern and central India during the 6th and the 12th centuries) style of architecture, taking inspiration from the ruins of the past temples, and reflecting the skills of the best of Gujarat’s master masons. The temple’s Shikara or spire, is 150 feet in height and has a 27-foot-tall flagpole at the top.

An interesting thing about the temple is that it is located at a spot on the shore, facing the south, and, it is said, that there is no landmass between this location and the South Pole! A Sanskrit inscription on a pillar on the shore attests to this fact, as having been known since ancient times.

When you visit this sacred temple, make sure you set time aside for the spectacular sonnet lumiare show that lights up the evenings. It’s a soul-stirring narration of the history of the temple that could not be destroyed. A must-watch!

Imagine the Sacredness

of the Temple that Could Not

be Destroyed.

Gravity is a cosmic extravaganza. It is the best 3D our googled eyes have ever seen. Visually delightful and thought provoking, the movie literally puts life’s important lessons ‘in your face’. We share our scribbles with you.

Beware of the debrisMission Specialist Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), veteran

astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are peacefully at work aboard the Explorer. Suddenly, the control station in Houston alerts them that the Russians have launched a missile strike on one of their own defunct satellites. Debris is hurtling through space at tremendous speed but fortunately, not in their direction. Moments later, Houston changes track and announces that the debris has caused a chain reaction and that great shards of metal are charging straight at the team. With no time to flee, the entire crew, save for Stone and Kowalski, die in the shower of iron and steel.

This scene reminds one of the karma that one generates. We might think that our actions are limited to ourselves or at best, to the person we are in direct contact with. However, everything we do has repercussions—on our own selves, our family, the society, and the world at large. Hence, Bhagawan always told us to THINK before we react; think about what you are sending into the world. Is it pure love or it is debris from some negative emotion, which will harm even those who are far away? Remember, all your energy—whether positive or negative—ripples out, further than you can imagine. Eventually, your energy will hit a great glass wall and travel back to you. So only send out what you want for yourself.

Detach yourselfStone and Kowalski are thrown off their satellite with the

impact of the debris crash. Stone, still attached to the machine she was working on, spins around madly as the Explorer somersaults in space. Kowalski repeatedly tells her to detach from the machine but she is too busy screaming to act on his command. Eventually, she regains her composure, unclips herself and watches as the spinning shuttle falls away from her.

When we seem to be going around in crazy circles, all we need to do is remove ourselves from the thing that is causing us discomfort. Emotionally detaching ourselves will give us the clarity to see things objectively and yes, save our souls too.

Don’t burn up your oxygenHaving been tossed around like a rag doll, Ryan Stone nearly

dies from lack of oxygen. In her panic, Stone breathes unusually

fast and burns up the limited supply of O2 in her tank. Thankfully, Kowalski levitates next to her like a supremely calm Meditation Master and repeatedly tells her to breathe slowly. Eventually, she calms down—and survives.

In here lies a great lesson for all of us. Each one has a limited number of breaths. If we burn them up in fear or anxiety or even extreme happiness for that matter, we stand to lose out on a lot of life. However, if we control our breath, we can most certainly enjoy several long moments of peace. So, dear friends, learn Pranayam (the art of controlling your life force, your prana) and practice it everyday. Then, write to us and tell us how good you feel!

It’s not up to youHanging out over the wing of a satellite, tethered only by

some strands of runaway wires, Dr. Ryan is sure she can pull Matt towards her and save his life. She repeatedly cries, “I’ve got you!” But Matt knows he is burdening her. He looks straight into her eyes, and exhales, “It’s not up to you.” With that, he unclips the cord that connects the two of them, and allows Stone to head to safety, while he himself drifts into the darkness and dies.

So often we heroically think we can ‘save’ others—from illness, from death, from falling into traps, from failing. We lose sight of the fact that the people we are trying to save are complex creatures who possess free will. They may, despite our best efforts, choose to go their own way. Not because they don’t trust that we can pull them in, but simply because at that very moment, their journeys are different from ours. It’s important to understand this and 1) not hate them for leaving; 2) not burden oneself with blame and angst over what ‘could have been’; and 3) not live in the past and desperately wish to recreate all those moments of lost love and affection.

A silent acceptance and a prayer for the one who has moved on will go a long way in keeping you both happy and healthy.

You have companyMichael Jackson’s evergreen song You are Not Alone keeps

tiptoeing around the edges of one’s memory while watching this galactic gig. Just when we think Matt is dead, he ‘arrives’—and gives Stone precious insight on how to head back to earth.

People who care for us are always with us. Souls travel as groups, for lifetimes together. So never think that you are alone or that you have been abandoned by your loved ones. They are always watching over you and will certainly rush to your rescue should you call for assistance. The trick is to keep an open heart and remember to call!

MULTIPLEX MUSINGS

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Admit it, you neglect your food. With your crazy work schedules, insensitive bosses and demanding children

you are “just too busy to eat.” Forget eating, you’re often too busy to go to the loo!

It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to detect that our eating cycle is warped. We skip breakfast, have tea at lunch time and lunch at tea time, dunk coffee through the day, gorge on junk for dinner and before we know it, we are fat, lethargic and lack zest for life. Then, we decide to fix it all—so we either kill ourselves at gym or convince ourselves that we look super with those extra kilos hanging around our belts and thighs.

Have we ever stopped to think what we are doing to ourselves? Bhagawan taught us that our bodies are temples of God. And the food we eat is the lamp that illumines this temple. “Foodu, Bloodu, Headu,” He would say in Telegu, meaning, good food leads to good blood and ultimately to a good head i.e. pure thoughts.

Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar’s books remind us of Baba’s words. They rip away at our self-destructive natures and teach us to love ourselves, but more importantly, love our food.

In her books, ‘Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight’ and ‘Women and the Weight Loss Tamasha’, Rujuta Diwekar tells readers to stop starving and start eating. Revolutionary, you might think. When one is trying to lose weight, the last thing one does is eat. One associates ‘diets’ with saltless, tasteless food that one wouldn’t even feed to a a prisoner. But Rujuta puts the masala (spice) back into our lives, quite literally!

On reading her books, you realise the torture you have been putting your body through, by blindly following Western food fads, expressing horror at eating rice, throwing away your dabbas (tins) of desi ghee and essentially, zipping your lips and not eating!

The reason we like Rujuta’s books—and recommend them to you too—is because you will identify with them. Our minds are so cluttered with diametrically opposite views on what to eat and what not to, that Rujuta’s books shine out like a laser beam and cut through the nonsense being fed to us by the media (and our well-wishers).

Rujuta takes us back to our roots and reminds us of the goodness of Indian food and the multitude of nutritional benefits it offers. Why, she almost makes eating a spiritual activity! We realise that food, something we totally take for granted, is the very fire that fuels us. Without it, we might as well be dead.

In her second book, WATWLT, Rujuta systematically dismantles every myth and stereotype that women have been subjected to since they were little girls. She points out that

young girls are made to feel unattractive and inadequate—they are too thin, too fat, too clever, too dull, too dark, too fair. They are never, ever, just right. To make matters worse, they are trained to shrink into the shadows once they are married and allow their husbands and children to become the centre of their lives. Thus, women give up on their own selves and grow frustrated—and sometimes thin but more often fat—as they lose control of their lives and bodies.

Thankfully, Rujuta slams on the breaks of the runaway wagons and sets all the wrongs right. Her books come at you

like a well-deserved whack on the head. She knocks sense into your brain, tells you what to put into your stomach and essentially, unlocks your heart and makes you happy. Go grab your copies at once.Top 10 Takeaways

1. Bring back the ghee! It has antibacterial and antiviral properties that keep you healthy. It lubricates your joints, carries nutrients to your brain and also keeps your skin young and glowing!

2. Eat a fresh fruit or a handful of dry fruits within 15 minutes of waking up.

3. Avoid footwear in the kitchen. Pray while you cook so your food is charged with your love and positive vibes.

4. Offer your food to God. Ask that the food become energy for you to carry out your duties effectively.

5. The stomach is the size of two fists. Hence, we need only two fistfuls of food for our main meals.

6. By way of meal portions, take half of what you would normally eat. If you are still hungry when you are done with this portion, take a second helping, which is again, half of what you would take.

7. Sit crossed-legged on the floor and eat with your fingers. Eat in silence (minus the multiple devices) and eat slowly. Relish every morsel. Listen for the signal from your tummy. When it is full, it will tell you so. Stop eating immediately.

8. Eat every two hours. Between your main meals, you can eat a fruit, some nuts, yogurt, and yes, a laddoo too!

9. Use the Indian style kamod (potty). The natural posture (thighs against the intestines) helps clear your bowels and you’ll feel great right through the day!

10. And, exercise! 07

Eat Your Way to Happiness!

This has got to be the most wonderful game I’ve ever played! Three days back, our HRM course teacher came up with a novel idea. She distributed small booklets to each of the ten students in the class. On each of these were written three words: “Pass it on”. We stared blankly at her face wondering what it all meant.

“As a child, I was told,” she began, “that a deed of help and kindness always returns to you. So let’s see if this is actually true! Each of you shall HELP ONE PERSON today. When you get thanked, just make sure that you tell that person to pass it on and give him this book after writing, in a few words, what kind of help you rendered.

I was immediately interested. As I walked the corridors of the college, I wondered of what help I could be. Then, suddenly I heard terrified shouts from somewhere nearby. I looked around and finally found the source of these sounds. A locked classroom. A girl, who had apparently been ill and fallen asleep during her class found the class vacant and the door locked when she awoke. She cried as she pleaded for help. I rushed to the security cabin, beckoning the guard with his set of duplicate keys and we rescued the girl.

“Thank you so much”. She had been inside for more than two hours. I scribbled ‘Rescued trapped school girl’ on the booklet and passed it on to her.

I felt exhilarated. And I swear, at that time, it did not matter to me whether or not that

act of kindness would come back to me. I just felt so good to have been able to relieve someone in a time of distress.

I smiled to myself the rest of the day. But, by the next day, I had forgotten about it.

This morning, as I rushed to answer the doorbell, my eyes met with a gory sight. My brother was supporting a fifteen year old boy, a complete stranger, who was bleeding profusely from his right foot. It so happened that my brother (we had warned him dozens of times!) was crossing the road wearing his earphones, listening to his iPod, full volume. A speeding bus came from nowhere, honking loudly, but he obviously did not hear it. In the nick of time, this boy, Siddharth, lunged forward, pushing him out of the way, himself falling on the pavement in the bargain resulting in an ugly GASH on his foot.

I dressed this boy’s wound and offered to drop him home. I returned to find my brother asleep. Next to him was something that I recognized. A booklet with “Pass it on” written across it. My heart leaped. I rushed to open it. The different handwritings made me gasp:

Rescued trapped school girlHelped brother with homework.Helped mom in kitchenAccompanied friend for treatment

Paid robbed boy’s auto fare

Saved boy from speeding bus.The cycle was complete. The kindness HAD been returned.

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All rights reserved by Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust, Maharashtra. This issue is not for sale.

DIARY OF A SEEKER

Arabbit borrowed four paise from Mother Earth. She thought that if

she moved into a new region she would be free from having to repay her debt.

So one day, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her and went far, far away from the place where she had received the four paise. At last, she sat down in great relief and said to herself: “Now, no one will ask me to repay.” Imagine her surprise when from the ground

underneath she heard a voice: “Mother Earth is right under your feet, here. You

cannot escape from Me, however far you run.”

Swami too has said, “You cannot run away from Me. Wherever you go, you meet only Me. I am present everywhere. I will demand good conduct, good habits, good thoughts, good company from you.”

On His 88th Birthday, let us resolve to give our beloved Lord what He asks of us. Jai Sai Ram!

You Can Run. But Can You Hide?

soul stories