May 29, 2009 – Blessings for SSSHSS and SSSU Teachers
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The end of May is generally a time of transition at Puttaparthi. The hot summer slowly gives away to the breezy months which announce the oncoming of the welcome monsoons. The word "soon" which constitutes a major portion of "monsoon" is significant in the sense that it seems to echo the prayers in the heart of every Prashanti resident who has bravely borne the summer heat! The nation wide and world wide Sathya Sai Organisations too prepare for the beginning of the new calendar year which starts with the Guru Poornima celebrations due in June or July every year. And again, it is a period of transition as far as His students in the school and University are concerned. The last few days in May constitute the consummation of a fruitful stay at His lotus feet for many as they prepare to leave the portals of the University; for many others, they form the first few days of a memorable journey they are about to embark upon, a journey that will meet its beautiful end in a similar period, years hence.
The morning of May 29, 2009 saw an energetic bhajan session as Swami arrived at about 9:35 a.m. granting darshan to the waiting students and devotees. He moved to the stage where He sat for 7-8 bhajans, tapping His hands and at times His feet too! To one of the lead singers, He suddenly threw a packet of vibhuti, the holy ash. The singer, having duly completed his bhajan, moved up the marble steps to collect his packet of blessings. Then, Swami moved into the Bhajan Hall and later into the interview room. Finally, moving out again, Swami received aarthi and retired for the morning. The evening turned out to be a memorable and insightful one as Swami decided to mark the period of transition with a beautiful message for all.
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Waiting for His Divine Blessings |
Receiving letters and prayers |
Swami arrived for darshan after the bhajans had begun. He took a detour after the ladies side and with a smile, moved towards the interview room. All the staff and teachers of the Higher Secondary School and the University campus at Puttaparthi were seated in the Bhajan Hall to seek His blessings before the start of the new academic year. Swami moved into the interview room apparently without even noticing them. After a while, He came out and moving through the veranda, arrived down the gentle slope which leads into the gents side of the Sai Kulwant Hall portico. The devotees who had persevered the disappointment of not having Him on their side during darshan were in for a beautiful divine gift as Swami moved through the gents side! He collected letters from many people and moved around granting darshan. Going in a direction that was opposite to the one He takes daily, Swami entered the ladies side through the path between the students' blocks.
In the ladies side, He again took a detour along the teachers and staff lines to move towards the interview room. There, He created a gold chain for an old lady who seemed thrilled beyond measure at this unexpected shower of bounty! Swami waited so sweetly and patiently as the lady placed and adjusted the chain around her neck. Then He moved on, collecting letters from the members of the staff at the Anantapur campus of the University and the staff of the Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital. Blessing them all, Swami returned towards the interview room and almost for the next hour, there were interviews. |
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The chosen lady and the unexpected shower |
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He had passed by the door, where the teachers were seated, for about four times now and He seemed not to have taken notice of them at all.It is said that God's delays are not His denials.John Milton said, "He also serves who only stands and waits."
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These are the kind of quotations that flash across the mind's eye as one waits for the Lord! Waiting cleanses the mind and being of all other thoughts and feelings, and prepares one to be receptive to what the Lord has to offer. That turned out to be the case on that day too. Swami, having completed the interviews, moved gently into the Bhajan Hall. The teachers and staff rejoiced the Divine Company. Swami had a message for all. He first spoke to the to-be-appointed new warden of the Prashanti Nilayam campus, Dr. Pallav Kumar Baruah. |
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Swami speaks to the Wardens of the Hostels |
The gist of what He said was this, "The children must be properly cared for and disciplined. What is most important is Daiva Preeti (love for God), Paapa Bheethi (fear of sin) and Sangha Neethi (morality in society). These have to cultivated in every individual. Discipline is a must, and must be strongly enforced because that is what will build fear of sin. The most important however is the first one viz. Daiva Preeti (love for God). If one inculcates Love for God, the other two automatically follow."
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Staff of The University |
All long for His Divine Proximity |
Swami then moved literally through the length and breadth of the Bhajan Hall granting padanamaskar to all the staff, taking letters and speaking to them. Swami spoke to the teachers in small groups at various points in the Bhajan Hall but all the time, the message was exactly the same – “Love for God, fear of sin and morality in society”. It is so beautiful how the Avatar Loves us beyond measure and also takes the pain to inspire us to Love Him back with the same intensity.
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Staff and teachers from The Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School |
Swami intructing all the teachers about the mantra "Love God and Fear Sin" |
For Swami, the teachers have always been the key as He believes that the only way for transformation in the world is through Educare (an education that focuses on bringing out what is latent within every individual i.e. Divinity). On that day, He spent a lot of time inspiring His teachers to mould and inspire His beloved students. In an age where the world is moving and collapsing at such a pace where one has no time to even think of the other, the Love and Guidance that Swami was pouring out selflessly was very moving. Swami's advise was like a 'farewell message' and a 'welcome note' too - an eternal, unchanging directive in the period of transition. Swami spent more than 20 minutes in the Bhajan Hall. He clarified the doubts and fulfilled the desires of many a staff but ultimately linked everything to having Love for God - Daiva Preeti. Having blessed everyone thus, Swami moved out to the stage where bhajans were on. He received aarthi after two more bhajans and then retired for the day at about 6:30 p.m.
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Homage to our "SADGURU" |
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