Saturday, 1 December 2012

From Team Venugaanam's Desk



We are delighted to bring to you the December 2012 edition of Venugaanam. This edition begins with Swami’s Divine call to His devotees and students to give Him a special birthday gift. While the Divine is free from all desires, yet for the welfare of His devotees, He too expects us to give this one gift to Him. What is this gift and what is the best way to please Swami? Read this discourse of Swami and know it in His own words.
In Atmajyothi, we continue the deliberation on realizing our inner nature and true potential. We are  all aspects of the One Self and this deliberation throws light on how we can de-identify ourselves from the body mind complex.
Grama Seva in Puttaparthi has always been a source of much inspiration and joy to all involved. In this interesting article named, Autobiography of a tractor, Bhargav shares his perspective on the role played by even a simple tractor and how the Grama Seva vehicle is a harbinger of joy in every village that it enters.
Arun Krishnamurthy narrates a beautiful episode from his experience as student of Swami in Parthi. Love is Divine but when that love has the Lord as its source, then it is that much sweeter. Its leads to the realization that “To Know God is to Love God”
SowmyaRoopa shares her experiences as a student of the Anantapur campus. In the series called Golden moments , she narrates incidents that happened during those precious years and specific instructions from Swami to improve our lives. In this article she shares the life of Shirdi Sai as narrated by Parthi Sai.  Prakash speaks on the havoc played by the prevalence of greed in societal transactions. He shares his opinion on how a balance of requirements with ceiling on desires can help us to develop as better humans.
There have been some significant developments last month.  Construction is progressing rapidly and the masonry , plumbing and electrical work are being done for the first floor also.
Swami's  birthday celebrations were held on 23rd November morning at Phase 1 of Sai Krushna Mandir amidst much grandeur. It was wonderful to have students, devotees and their families participate in the simple but satisfying function.The great take away from this function was the amount that can be achieved when dedicated families and individuals come together for Swami's work keeping Him as the center and reason of their lives. As Swami says, when like minded people unite for a noble purpose, wonders can be achieved. The best part of the function involved the procession of the construction workers who were given a standing ovation amidst loud cheering as they entered Sai Krushna Mandir and felicitated for their significant contribution towards the building. Read more in the update on construction and Swami’s birthday celebrations update.
We are happy to have your feedback on how to make ‘Venugaanam’ a better communication tool. You may kindly mail us at contactus@saikrushnamandir.org . Do feel free to share with us your experiences in following Swami’s teachings or on any other theme of your choice.
Happy reading! Wish you all a Very happy and festive Christmas. Even as we celebrate the birthday of Christ - may Swami turn our lives into a celebration of His message of love and service.
With All our Prema,
Team Venugaanam
Sai Krushna Charitable Trust

A Birthday Gift- Divine Discourse



Emodiments of Love!
You must be thinking about the gift you have to offer Swami on this Birthday.
You can be happy that you have given Swami a proper gift only when you love your fellowmen, share their sufferings, and engage yourselves in serving them. That is the only gift I wish for. The present given to God has to be pure, steady and selfless Love.
On this birthday I have only one desire. I am desiring this only to promote your aanandha.
Rich people and people in power have plentiful servants. But the distressed, the poverty-stricken, and those who suffer have no one to serve them. Go to such people and be their friends, their kith and kin, their closest well-wishers. Let them welcome you as such. If you pour spirituality into the ears of those who are tortured by hunger, it will not be assimilated. First,   quench the hunger. Give them God in the form of food. Give them God in the form of clothes. Give God in the form of peace to those who are afflicted with anxiety. Give God in the form of medicine to those who are suffering from ill health. Give God in whatever form which will assuage fear, pain and sorrow. It is only when this is done that spirituality can soak into the heart. If you act contrariwise, instead of spiritual feelings you will be promoting atheism itself.

ATMAJYOTHI – The Eternal Light of SatChitAnanda









By  Shri Lakshminarayan Aithal




(This is a guided discussion on the essence of Vedanta which shows us how to deliberate and reach the conclusion that the real I is actually Divine and not the mind-body-intellect complex.)



I  AM PURE, FULL, ETERNAL AND ONE.
    On  the  whole,  we  have  deliberated  and  proved  that  the  Self  is  Pure ( Shuddha );  and  He  doesn’t  have  an  iota  of  impurity  either  of  the  worldliness  or  of  the  inert  world.  There  is  no  valid  evidence  to  tell  that  the  Self  is  bound  by  wakefulness,  dream  and  deep-sleep  states;  and  the  states  are  tagged  to  the  Self.  For  the  Self  remains  to  exist  as  He  is,  in  spite  of  appearing  and  disappearing  of  the  states  in  Him,  the  Self  is  Full ( Poorna ).  It  is  a  wrong  concept  that  He  exists  somewhere  else  in  the  world  and  He  is  bound  by  time  and  space;  and  He  is  suffering !  Really,  there  is  no  place  where  the  Self  doesn’t  exist;  and  the  place  is  also  imagined  in  the  Self  and  it  appears  in  Him;  and  therefore,  the  concept  of  place  doesn’t  agree  with  Him  in  the  least.  Similarly,  the  Self  is  not  bound  by  time;  for,  the  time  is  also  imagined  in  the  Self.  That  which  is  bound  by  time  and  space,  at  a  particular  point  of  time  is  destroyed  by  either  the  destruction  of  its  parts  or  the  separation  of  its  parts;  but  the  Self  is  not  bound  by  either  time  or  space;  and  therefore,  the  Self  is  Eternal  One ( Nitya ).  For  all  these  reasons,  the  Self  is  One  alone ( Eka ),  that  means,  the  Self  doesn’t  have  a  second  entity  including  the  self  and  the  inert.  When  the  self  and  the  inert  objects  appear,  as  we  have  shown  already,  these  have  a  mere  appearance;  and  in  the  deep  sleep  there  is  no  trace  of  living  and  non-living.  If  the  dream  is  off,  the  dreamer  alone  remains  and  so  the  delusion  is  off;  the  rope,  etc.  the  support  of  the  delusion  alone  remain;  and  in  the  deep-sleep  which  is  bereft  of  the  appearance  of  the  wakefulness  and  the  dream,  this  Self  alone  remains;  and  therefore,  the  Self,  Himself,  alone  is  the  essence  of  the  states.  Therefore,  the  Self,  in  all  respects,  is  the  One  without  the  second.

Construction and Birthday Updates- Sai Krushna Mandir



With the Divine Blessings and grace of our Beloved Swami, the ground floor of Phase 1 of the children’s home – Sai Krushna Mandir – was inaugurated on 23rd November, 2012. Swami's  birthday celebrations were held on 23rd November morning at Phase 1 of Sai Krushna Mandir amidst much grandeur.
It was wonderful to have students, devotees and their families participate in the simple but satisfying function.
The great take away from this function was the amount that can be achieved when dedicated families and individuals come together for Swami's work keeping Him as the center and reason of their lives. As Swami says, when like minded people unite for a noble purpose, wonders can be achieved. Currently, the plumbing, masonry and electrical works are all being taken up for the first floor also. The entire building would be finished by February/ March. It is expected that Sai Krushna Mandir will be functional as a children’s home from April/May 2013. That way, the children who will be coming will also be able to join during the change of academic session. We also invite applications for suitable volunteer families who will be willing to live with and take care of the children. 

Grama Seva- Autobiography of a Tractor





By KVRK Bhargav


I chugged out of the Gopuram gate with a bunch of boisterous boys chanting Jai Bolo Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba ji ki Jai. Another arduous day had started for me in the annual Sri Satya Sai Grama Seva 2012. They call me the beast of burden perhaps mockingly. I am always an object of dislike due to my lack of agility, a bumpy ride and  status of a stock vehicle. I am a tractor named T4 (fourth group) and I consider myself a part of the Grama Seva irrespective of what others think. I have got used to this step motherly treatment of starting half an hour to forty five minutes before the whole convoy leaves which is a dampener for students to join me. The remonstrances showed by Adi Narayana, my driver,  regarding leaving early were brushed aside by the teacher in-charge who said rather dismissively, "After all the tractor is like a tortoise, it can't match the speed of the mini trucks which are like the hares. Tractor has to reach in time to the village to supply us with food prasadam and ladoos."

Nectarine Love Divine












Arun Krishnamurthy


“To Know God is to Love God”, I was taught when I was a child. For a very long time the meaning of this seemingly simple yet very profound statement kept eluding me.
Perhaps just to discover the inner meaning of this statement I was given the wondrous opportunity to study in Swami’s institution. I joined the MBA course in Prasanthi Nilayam in the year 2005. The first grace of Swami was shown to us when after a hiatus of few years he called upon the new joining MBA students to Brindavan, Whitefield. It made the feeling absolutely special for us new comers. I was totally overawed by the occasion and i saw other  students were touching Swami’s feet, holding hands and Swami was responding to all of them with such sweet smiles and talking to a few of the students. I mustered just enough courage to go and touch Swami’s hands with my two fingers and then waited to see if there was any reaction. Swami just smiled.

Golden Moments- His Story as heard from Him










 By Sowmya Roopa



It was a joyous trip to Puttaparthi in 1984 since it was my first trip as a student studying in first year B.A at the Sri Sathya Sai college for women at Ananthpur. It was Ramzan day. Bhagavan called us for an interview in the mandir hall. Bhagavan entered and asked “ Yemi Samacharam? Any questions”. The librarian Mrs Pushpa Ramana requested Bhagwan to tell us about his early life as Shirdi Sai baba, since nobody knew about Shirdi Baba’s parentage, childhood etc. Bhagawan graciously revealed the secrets of his parentage and life in His previous Avatar as Shirdi Baba .The following is the record of that interview in 1984 as written in my dairy at that time itself.

Every little thing is of some value, until and unless we know the value of a thing we cannot put it into proper use. If the husk is not removed from paddy, we do not get rice .We cannot wear cotton bales as such, only when it is made into thread and woven as cloth we can use it. A rock from a mountain cannot be worshipped until it is made into an idol. Diamond is precious only if it is extracted from the earth. Even gold mixed with copper, silver etc is of lesser value than purified gold free from other metals. With out the husk, paddy is not different from rice. Human life gains Divine value when the satwa ,rajas and tamoguna are taken away from it. Life with desires is man, life without desires is God.

GREED: The Root of our Problems




By Prakash Srinivasan





Each of us is blessed with our own strengths and weaknesses. But there are some qualities that God has bestowed on all of us that assume the form of vices in us. One of the most addictive of all of them is greed. Each of us has been greedy at many points of our life, it just does not mean amassing of wealth but it starts in the smallest of forms from our childhood. Only a handful of people in the world must have conquered this thorn-like addiction.

Thursday, 1 November 2012

From Team Venugaanam’s Desk




We are delighted to bring to you the November 2012 edition of Venugaanam. This edition begins with Swami’s Divine call to His devotees and students to have firm faith in Divinity and this will be sufficient strength to achieve any task.
In Atmajyothi, we continue the deliberation on realizing our inner nature and true potential. Bhargav shares his insights on the secrets of a healthy living from the perspective of the world’s oldest medical science- Ayurveda.  Even the so called inanimate objects have life; Sriram outlines this in the series entitled “A Journey Within”.
SowmyaRoopa shares her experiences as a student of the Anantapur campus. In the series called Golden moments , she narrates incidents that happened during those precious years and specific instructions from Swami to improve our lives. Prakash speaks on motivational aspects that every teacher should be aware of. What counts is not the amount drilled into a student but the effort to create an environment that generates interest in every child to learn, he opines.

Swami's Discourse-Anything in Life can be Achieved with Firm Faith



Embodiments of Love!

IT is lack of love that is responsible for all the differences, arguments and conflicts in the world, especially in the present times. Many people say that the world is afflicted today with sorrow, losses and difficulties. I do not subscribe to this view. I tell you, they are all our illusion only. In fact, there is no unrest or sorrow in this world. I just see peace, peace and peace only everywhere. When there is peace in our heart, we will be able to witness peace all round. Unrest, sorrow, anger, etc., are the reaction, reflection and resound of the state of our inner being. Sorrows and difficulties, anger and unrest are of our own making and creation. They are not natural phenomena in the world.

First and foremost, develop faith. There can be no life without faith. Sometimes faith is also termed ‘Self’. Without Self, you cannot help others. Only when there is faith can you achieve anything in life.

Atmajyoti

By  Shri Lakshminarayan Aithal
(Shri Lakshminarayan Aithal has served for over 3 decades in Swami’s institution and is the former Principal of the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Institutions at Muddenahalli. Inspired by Swami’s direct message to study the Upanishads, he first learnt Sanskrit and then studied the direct works of Adi Shankaracharya and Swami. Sincere perseverance led him to the reality of Aham Brahmasmi and He realized and experienced Swami’s words: “I am God and so are you”. He shares the import of the Upanishadic teachings with us in this series of articles.)




Now,  let  us  enquire  into  the  third  and  the  fourth  objections.  A rope is different from the snake.  The latter object may be imagined in the former one.  But,  does  the  one self  delude  that  he  is  of  other  form?  How  do  we  believe  that  many  living  beings  and  inert  objects  are  imagined  in  the  Sole  Auspicious  Form  of  the  Self?  How  do  we  believe  that,  in  front  of  the  Self,  the  non-self-world  is  imagined,  apart  from  Him?  None of these two suitably befit to the rope-snake-illustration.  This,  in  a  nutshell,  is  the  purport  of  the  two  objections.  If  the  Self  is  of  the  Form  of  Existence-Awareness-Bliss,  how  does  the  non-existent-inert-sorrowful-world  appear  in  Him?  This is also included in the doubt of the objector.

Construction Update


THE MAKING OF SAI KRUSHNA MANDIR- CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Sai Krushna Mandir after Phase 1 and 2
With the Divine Blessings and grace of our Beloved Swami, the ground floor of Phase 1 of the children’s home – Sai Krushna Mandir – will be inaugurated on 23rd November, 2012. While there are numerous challenges, the SKM construction team is working to ensure that the foundation, construction and funding are all moving along expected timelines.
As you are all aware, owing to our stance of non-corruption with government authorities, the construction work began only on Gurupoornima-3rd July. We are grateful to Swami that He has allowed us to complete the ground floor of the building in time to celebrate the inauguration of the ground floor on His birthday It is entirely a reflection of His grace on the project that in a short duration of about 4 months the ground floor of Phase 1 would be complete and the civil structure of the first and second floors would be done by November. The entire building would be finished by February/ March. It is expected that Sai Krushna Mandir will be functional as a children’s home from April/May 2013. That way, the children who will be coming will also be able to join during the change of academic session. We also invite applications for suitable volunteer families who will be willing to to live with and take care of the children.

Sharavati School Update- Teacher's Workshop

Even as the students took a break for the Navarathri vacations after their examinations, the teachers were kept busy with their corrections. All the students have performed well and the areas of improvement have been identified.

From 25-28 October, we had a workshop fpor the teachers on diverse topics ranging from Educare, Methods to improve teaching, Teaching aids, Games, to Personality Development and Appraisal.

Astrology and Spirituality- Ayurveda-Secret of Healthy Living 2


By KVRK Bhargav
(Bhargav is a student of Swami who after completing his B.Tech graduated with an MBA from the the Sri Sathya Sai University in 2001. Ever since, he has had the great fortune of waiting for Swami’s direct guidance. He pursues astrology as a hobby to understand how it complements and dovetails spirituality. He shares his insights on how the planets are not causes of fear; rather they all serve the common goal of prodding man towards his spiritual destiny of Self Realization)




I hope all are ready with their scores of Vata Pitta and Kapha  of their constitution based on the previous article on Ayurveda- Nature's secret for healthy living-1 . Let us understand in depth these three humours (types) and how they affect a person's overall health.

A Journey Within


-By Sriram S.
(Sri Ram. S is an MSc (Math) and MBA grad from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. He was also the University Brass band leader, a mandir bhajan singer and one of the founders of the alumni Band Group known as Rhythmic Energy. Post studies he worked in the IT industry for over 6 years after which he moved on and is currently a practising Clinical Integrated Hypnotherapist working out of Bangalore. He has founded Sunshine Wellness Studio (www.SunshineStudio.in) that aims at using various modalities of hypnotherapy for healing. Feel free to write in on your experiences and also if you have any further queries at info@SunshineStudio.in )


Forging a Relationship with the “Inert”

I wonder if there is anything at all that could be termed ‘inert’. As a child I grew up believing that all objects that I get in touch with have ‘feelings’. So if my pen would not write well and if I cursed it, I would immediately retract my harsh statements. I believed that the pen could actually hear me and would ‘feel bad’. I had amazing parents who listened with open mindedness and never derided my belief systems. If anything they strengthened it. So what I wrote below is something very natural to me. I am not unaware of the raised eyebrows and mildly skeptical looks when I talk about this to others. Nevertheless, try to read through with an open mind and try out the steps and please do get back to me with your experience.

Motivational Techniques for Teachers



Prakash Srinivasan
(Prakash is a student of Swami who did his B.Com(Hons) in Brindavan campus and then his MBA and PG Diploma in Indian Culture and Philosophy in Prashanthi Nilayam. During his student days, Prakash had the good fortune of being a Mandir bhajan singer and has enjoyed singing for our Lord many times. A passionate lover of music, food and nature- Prakash is currently heading the European system operations for Hewlett Packard(HP) from the Bangalore office. His enthusiasm, humour and cheerfulness are contagious. In this article, Prakash shares his insights on cinema and how movies can deeply affect our daily life).


Teachers play a very important role in the growth of a child and they need to motivate the children continuously to ensure the children enjoy the learning process. A mechanical teaching process serves no purpose at all. Here are some pointers which can help teachers to teach with all the motivation so that they can make teaching an interactive process:

Golden Moments-1




Sowmya Roopa
(Sowmya Roopa completed her B.A in 1987 and B.Ed in 1988. She received her gold medal for distinction in B.Ed from the Sri Sathya Sai University. She taught at the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar Ootacamund from 1989 till 1991. From 1991 till 2000, she taught at the Sai Sathya Sai Primary school, Puttaparthi. Sowmya Roopa was invited to the Sai Sathya Sai Schools, Rishikesh and Kathmandu in 2000 and 2001. There she shared her knowledge about value-oriented education with the teachers and students through talks, poems, songs, charts and demonstration. Currently, she writes value-based skits and paints quotation boards. She attempts to spread Bhagwan’s teachings and the wisdom of different religions through her brainchild ‘Project Suvichar’.)



The Shri Guru Gita say’s “Salutations to Shri Guru, by whose joy people are joyous”, Bhagawan, the source of joy gave each of us joyous Golden moments. It is our pleasure to share those memories with each other. In these series of articles entitled ‘Golden Moments’ I share some joy- filled memories with all of you. The joy came when Bliss incarnate Bhagawan, answered a question, alloyed a fear, showed His unseen presence, wiped a tear, taught a profound truth…endless are His ways of giving joy.

     It was 1984, I had just joined the Sri Sathya Sai college for women at Ananthpur and was in first year B.A, It was a Thursday, we were assembled for prayer in the college auditorium, as we finished praying, there was a sudden hush, then a few whispers “Bhagwan has come”, we turned in amazement to see Bhagwan walking into the auditorium. Then Bhagwan gave a discourse. He told this chinna katha- little story.

Monday, 1 October 2012

From Team Venugaanam's Desk



We are delighted to bring to you the October 2012 edition of Venugaanam. This edition begins with Swami’s Divine call to His devotees and students to give up misunderstandings and narrow mindedness to become ideal and victorious leaders.
We have heuristic questions and interesting topics like Ayurveda and past life regression discussed in the regulars on ‘AtmaJyothi’, ‘Astrology and Spirituality’, and ‘A Journey Within’. 
An interesting experience shared by Mr G Prabhakar Rao from Puttaparthi, highlights the import of Swami’s statement when He says:” I am in you , above you, below you, around you”. Through this miraculous incident, Swami once again confirms His omnipresence and shows how He protects His devotees at every step.
In the creativity section, Sister Prameela shares some of her ideas and photographs of hand- made articles. Many items which we believe as useless can actually be transformed into decorative items and gifts of beauty.

Swami's Discourse- Bhagwan's Call to His Students and Devotees



THIS is the age of science and technology. On the one side astonishing progress has been made in the field of plastics, electronics and computers. Scientists have also made wonderful  discoveries in the spheres of atomic energy and space exploration. Moreover man is sending out into space artificial satellites. Enormous energy and expenses are being devoted for investigating the mysteries of the atom. But there is no comparable concern for developing human behavior In the competition for over-reaching each other, men are immersed in selfishness and are pursuing wrong courses. Politics and economics are bedevilled by crises. Men are driven by caste and religious conflicts. The appetite for power and position has become insatiable. These are causing the disintegration of the sacred land of Bharat.

Atmajyoti- Removal of the Confusion of the World


 By  Shri Lakshminarayan Aithal
(Shri Lakshminarayan Aithal has served for over 3 decades in Swami’s institution and is the former Principal of the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Institutions at Muddenahalli. Inspired by Swami’s direct message to study the Upanishads, he first learnt Sanskrit and then studied the direct works of Adi Shankaracharya and Swami. Sincere perseverance led him to the reality of Aham Brahmasmi and He realized and experienced Swami’s words: “I am God and so are you”. He shares the import of the Upanishadic teachings with us in this series of articles.)


   Not  only  the  selfhood  is  an  obstacle  to  apprehend  that  we  are  the  Absolute  Form  of  Auspiciousness;  and  the  world  that  appears  for  us  is  also  another  obstacle  to  that  Awareness.  If  we  are  the  unique  Form  of  Awareness,  how  the  world  of  inert  objects  would  have  come  out?  This  thought  is  a  fearful  impediment  for  the  reflection  of  the  Auspiciousness. Similar  to  us,  many  living  beings  are  here;  all  of  them  live  with  us;  and  as  us,  they  are  also  having  pleasure  and  pain.  How does this multiplicity of selfhood appear?  We  can  apprehend,  somehow,  that  the  Self  is  of  the  form  of  awareness;  but  how  do  we  apprehend  these  inert  objects  are  of  the  form  of  awareness?  These  inert  objects  appear  to  the  self;  and  these  are  liked  or  disliked  by  the  self;  and  as  the  self  uses  these  inert  objects  that  are  depending  on  another  are  used.  How  do  we  apprehend  these  inert  objects  as  of  the  form  of  awareness? 

Sai Krushna Mandir Children's Home-Construction Updates

 
THE MAKING OF SAI KRUSHNA MANDIR- CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Phase 2 after completion
With the Divine Blessings and grace of our Beloved Swami, the ground floor of Phase 1 of the children’s home – Sai Krushna Mandir – is to be inaugurated on 23rd November, 2012. While there are numerous challenges, the SKM construction team is working to ensure that the foundation, construction and funding are all moving along expected timelines.
By Swami’s grace the ground floor roof work for Phase 1 of Sai Krushna Mandir was completed in the second week of September. The first floor roof is expected to be completed by the second week of September.  
 Sai Krushna Mandir Phase 1 after completion

School Updates- Lord Ganesha Installation


SHARAVATHI SCHOOL UPDATE
Teacher's day celebration at school

Newly made Ganesha shrine in school

Astrology and Spirituality- Ayurveda- Nature's Secret for Healthy Living


By KVRK Bhargav
(Bhargav is a student of Swami who after completing his B.Tech graduated with an MBA from the the Sri Sathya Sai University in 2001. Ever since, he has had the great fortune of waiting for Swami’s direct guidance. He pursues astrology as a hobby to understand how it complements and dovetails spirituality. He shares his insights on how the planets are not causes of fear; rather they all serve the common goal of prodding man towards his spiritual destiny of Self Realization)


Why is it that some people are tall while others are short, some people put on weight while others don't gain weight irrespective of what they eat, why some people are inherently peaceful and contended while others are anxiety personified? Why is it that some people are voracious eaters while others eat very scantily? Why is it that some people are self motivated and work tirelessly while others are lazy and averse to work?

Ayurveda provides answers to all these questions.

A Journey Within - Part 6


-By Sriram S.
(Sri Ram. S is an MSc (Math) and MBA grad from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. He was also the University Brass band leader, a mandir bhajan singer and one of the founders of the alumni Band Group known as Rhythmic Energy. Post studies he worked in the IT industry for over 6 years after which he moved on and is currently a practising Clinical Integrated Hypnotherapist working out of Bangalore. He has founded Sunshine Wellness Studio (www.SunshineStudio.in) that aims at using various modalities of hypnotherapy for healing. Feel free to write in on your experiences and also if you have any further queries at info@SunshineStudio.in )



Working with the Metaphors within

In the previous post we had walked through the theories of Past Life Regressions and metaphoric imagery in the mind. In this post we will learn a very simple effective tool to be able to dive into the deep recesses of our own subconscious mind and work with these metaphoric representations. You could also consider (and for practical purposes these are) past life memories.

God is Closer than the Closest


(Mr Prabhakar Rao is a former employee of Tata Steel having served in different capacities in the Vigilance section and other divisions. He was one of the founding members of the Jamshedpur Sai samithi. He and his wife were instrumental in Bal Vikas for children in Jamshedpur in the 80’s and 90’s.  An active member of the Sai organization, he has now settled in Puttaparthi.In this article he shares his wife’s experience of how Swami saved her from immanent danger in a miraculous manner.)


Swami said in His discourses that "I am with you, in you, Around you".  This is true and realized if one has full faith and belief in Him.   On 12. 7. 2012 I was in Secunderabad and my wife, Mrs Prabhavati Rao in Parthi.  On that day early hours Prabhavati Rao had a dream.  In that dream she saw Swami coming alone from Yajurmandir to Kulwant hall for darshan.  When Swami entered Kulwant Hall from ladies side they saw Him and started telling Swami,Swami,Swami.  Prabhavati Rao also did the same. She got up and followed Swami.  He walked some distance and took a turn towards the steps which were there previously where Swami's samadhi is presently there.  He climbed the steps and reached the dais. Prabhavati Rao also climbed the steps after Him and reached the dais.  On that day Swami's chair was kept on the ladies side of the dais.  Swami went and sat in the chair kept for Him.  Then Swami saw Prabhavati Rao and said to take Padanamaskar which she did putting her head touching Swami's Lotus feet.  Swami blessed her with His hand on her head.  She got up happily and came down the steps and sat with the ladies.  This is the dream of Prabhavati Rao on 12. 7. 2012 early hours.  

Creativity Section: Using Household Stuff to Beautify Home




(Prameela K is a homemaker living in Chennai and an ardent devotee of Bhagavan. She is a firm believer in making the best use of all resources as gifts of God. In this article shares with us her creative designs and articles which she has been developing as her hobby. She has been utilizing this hobby to decorate her home especially at the time of the Golu( dolls) festival in Navarathri. Her efforts have won her great recognition including the 1st prize in the Chennaionline.com, 2nd Prize in Time of India, 2nd prize on Kotak Mahindra bank, 4th prize in Sankara TV and some more prizes in local newspapers.)
1.      

    


  Amman Doll:  This is a very old doll repainted since the original paint had started peeling off.  Instead of throwing away the old dolls we can bring life to the doll by repainting & varnishing it thereby restoring its beauty.
  
   





  

Saturday, 1 September 2012

From Team Venugaanam's desk


We are delighted to bring to you the September 2012 edition of Venugaanam. Teachers day is round the corner and this edition begins with a Divine Discourse on the real meaning and core of education. Swami highlights that education finds its fruition in good character and Seva that leads to Self knowledge.
We have heuristic questions and interesting facets discussed in the regulars on ‘AtmaJyothi’, ‘Astrology and Spirituality’, and ‘A Journey Within’.  In the section on healthy mind in a healthy body, we look at a miracle green leaf that can help improve health substantially.
Many of the articles in this edition revolve around the theme of education, teachers day and ennobling thoughts. If you are unable to teach youngsters, but have some free time and wish to use your artistic skills to inspire young minds, then do read the article on Project Suvichar. A little effort can help brighten up so many classrooms. We also have a special by two alumni of the Sri Sathya Sai University illustrating their experiences and implementation of some of Swami’s teachings. As they say, the proof of the pudding lies in the eating- experiment, follow and understand the power of what Swami says to truly benefit from it.
There have been some significant developments last month.  In the Sai students alumni meet in August in Prashanthi Nilayam, Sai Krushna Mandir project was presented to all participating alumni. Meanwhile, construction is progressing rapidly and the ground floor roof is expected to be completed by September 10th. For easy reference, all related documents have been shared on the website in the section called Construction Documents.
We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to Shankarnarayan Consultancy for their generous contribution of two Vinayaka idols in black stone.  One of them will be installed in the Sharavathi school in time for Ganesha festival and the other will be installed in front of Sai Krushna Mandir- Phase 1 on Swami’s birthday.
Our gratitude is also due to our Sai brother(who did not wish to be named) for the thoughtful donation of his car for Trust purposes. This will be a big help to move to and from the construction site and monitor progress.
We are happy to have your feedback on how to make ‘Venugaanam’ a better communication tool. You may kindly mail us at contactus@saikrushnamandir.org . Do feel free to share with us your experiences in following Swami’s teachings or on any other theme of your choice.
Happy reading! May Swami inspire us to follow His message of love and service.
With All our Prema,
Team Venugaanam
Sai Krushna Charitable Trust