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 10^th. 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

Swami's Discourse- Nishkaama Seva: The Heart of True Education

Work done with no concern or desire for the profit therefrom, purely out of love or from

a sense of duty, is Yoga. Such yoga destroys the animal nature of man and transforms him into a divine being. Serve others, visualising them as kindred Atmas. That will help one to progress; it will save one from sliding down from the spiritual stage attained. Service (Seva) is far more salutary than even vows and worship (Puja). Service  disintegrates the selfishness latent in you; it opens the heart wide; it makes the heart blossom. So, work done with no desire is the supreme ideal for man; and when the mansion of his life is built on that foundation, through the subtle influence of this basis of Nishkama Seva (selfless service), virtues will gather unto him.

Service must be the outer expression of inner goodness. And as one undertakes seva more and more, one’s consciousness expands and deepens and one’s Atmic reality is more clearly known. This ideal of seva and the urge to practise it form the very heart of education. Pure Love, its chief manifestation—that is education. Nothing else can be. God loves those who do good to mankind as His dear children. They are ideal brothers for their countrymen. They deserve and achieve the awareness of the Atma.

Whoever assigns his wealth, strength, intellect and devotion towards the promotion of the progress of mankind is to be considered as a person who is to be revered. They

are those who are born for a noble purpose, who are observing the holy vow of service, unsullied by thoughts of self.

Prompted by the urge to advance the progress of others, when a person dedicates his wealth, skill and intelligence, his position and status, he becomes truly great. Such a one is the purposeful seer for the world. He fulfils unfailingly the vow of selfless service. He who is conscious of his basic duties and obligations and spends his days in carrying them out in practice will be in supreme peace, wherever he may be. Through his influence, his neighbourhood, too, will share that peace. Vidya impels man to pour into the sacrificial fire one’s narrow ego and foster in its place universal Love, which is the foundational base for the superstructure of spiritual victory. Love which knows no limits purifies and sanctifies the mind. Let the thoughts centre around God, the feelings

and emotions be holy and acts and activities be the expression of selfless service. Let the mind, the heart and the hand be thus saturated in good. Vidya has to take up

this task of sublimation. It must first instil the secret of service. Service rendered to another has to confer full joy in all ways. Vidya must emphasise that in the name of seva or service, no harm, pain or grief should be inflicted on another.

While rendering seva, the attitude of its being done for one’s own satisfaction should not tarnish it. It has to be rendered as an essential part of the process of living itself.

This is the real core of Vidya. As brick and mortar are to a house that is being built, the activity of seva needs the Vidya that can strengthen our resolve to purify our thought, word and deed in order to carry out our duties. Vidya such as this is the key to the country’s progress. What exactly is the secret of ensuring peace and prosperity for mankind? Rendering service to others without expecting service from them in return. Karma or activity which binds is a huge fast-growing tree. The axe that can cut the roots of this tree is this: Doing every act as an act of worship to glorify the Lord. This is the real yajna, the most important ritual. This sacrifice promotes and confers Brahma Vidya. Note that the yearning to do seva must flow in every nerve of the body, penetrate every bone and activate every cell. Those who engage themselves in spiritual Sadhana

must have mastered this attitude towards seva. Seva is the blossom of Prema, a flower that fills the mind with rapture. Harmlessness is the fragrance of that flower. Let even your little acts be redolent with compassion and reverence. Be assured that your character would thereby shine greatly. The highest happiness is contentment. Where

there is no harshness, there holiness will thrive and virtue will flourish. Where greed exists, vice will breed thick. One must completely destroy the urge to live an isolated life, like a lone bull. Do not entertain such a wish even in dreams.

Vidya instructs you to remember yourself first. After transforming yourself, try to reform others. That is the advice offered by Vidya. The delusive attachment to the objective

world can be uprooted by means of selfless service rendered as worship to the Lord. Devotion to the Motherland, love of the Motherland, these are to be reckoned as far less than love and devotion towards all mankind. Genuine Bhakthi is characterised by love for all, at all times, everywhere. Your nature is revealed by your acts, your gestures,

your looks, your speech, your feeding habits, your dress, your gait. Therefore, pay attention to ensure that your speech, your movements, your thoughts, your behaviour are all right and full of love, sathwic, and devoid of wildness and waywardness.

You have to develop the humility to believe that you have much good to learn from others. Your enthusiasm, your strong ambition, your resolution, your capacity to work, your store of knowledge, your wisdom—these have to be related to all others and not utilised for you alone. Your heart should take all others in. Your thoughts too should be

patterned on those broad lines. Eating food is a holy ritual, a yajna. It should not be performed during moments of anxiety or emotional tension. Food has to be considered as medicine for the illness of hunger and as the sustenance of life. Treat each trouble you encounter as a fortunate opportunity to develop your strength of mind, and to toughen you with greater hardihood. The characteristic of Nature is “to manifest as

manifold.” The characteristic of the Divine is “to absorb into unity.” So, whoever dislikes or hates another or demeans and denigrates another is indeed a fool; for, he is thereby

disliking, hating, demeaning or denigrating only himself! Only he is unaware of this truth. Vidya instructs man to establish himself in this Truth and demonstrates the underlying Divinity. In the garden of the Heart, one must plant and foster the Rose of Divinity, the Jasmine of Humility, and Generosity as the Champak. In the medicine chest of each student, one must keep in readiness tablets of discrimination, drops of self-control, and three powders: faith, devotion and patience. By the use of these drugs, he can escape the serious illness called ignorance (Ajnana).

There are many destructive forces in the world. But, luckily, there are also, along with them, constructive forces. Students of Vidya should not turn into worshippers of bombs and yantras (machines). They must transform themselves into active persons worshipping Madhava (God) and Manthras. Authority and power are powerful intoxicants. They pollute and poison man until he is destroyed. They breed misfortune. But, Vidya will confer on them fullness and fortune.

( Taken from Swami’s Discourses complied in the book Vidya Vahini )

Atmajyoti- Eternal Light of Satchidananda

 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.)

THE SOULHOOD APPEARS BECAUSE THE SELF IS NOT KNOWN.

    Now, let us turn towards the illustrated Self.  We  have  the  selfhood  because  we  have  not  understood  our  Real  Form  of  the  Self.  In  the  darkness,  as  the  people  misunderstand  the  rope  as  a  snake;  so  we  have  not  realized  our  Auspicious  Form ( Shiva-svaroopa );  and  that  is  why  this  selfhood  appears  in  Him.  Here,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  similarity  between  the  illustration  and  the  illustrated.  For,  the  one  who  considers  the  Self  as  a  living  being  imagines  that  he  is  related  with  the  body,  the  breath,  the  mind,  the  intellect  and  the  ego.  As  a  short-sighted  one,  without  knowing  the  rope,  imagines  a  hood,  a  tail,  a  crooked  form,  etc.  of  a  serpent  in  the  rope;  similarly,  the  ignorant  imagines  the  relation  of  body,  etc.  and  he  entertains  misconceptions  in  the  manner:  “  I  am  born,  I  grow,  I  grieve,  I  die  and  again  I  am  born”  Thus,  he  produces  the  worldly  illusion  in  himself  and  suffers.  Really,  there  is  not  even  a  little  part  of  the  serpent  in  the  rope.  Similarly,  the  Witnessing  Self  who  is  of  the  Form  of  Awareness  doesn’t  have  a  little  taint  of  selfhood.  After  examining  well,  the  persons  get  the  knowledge  of  the  rope  and  they  get  rid  of  the  fear  of  the  serpent.  Similarly,  the  seeker,  by  the  Awareness  of  the  Auspicious  Form,  gets  rid  of  all  evils  of  the  life  of  transmigration.

    (Objection: -) If  awareness  of  ‘ I  am  a  living  being’  is  a  delusion,  what  authority  is  there  to  show  that  the  Awareness  of  Auspiciousness  is  not  a  delusion?  The awareness of selfhood is falsified by the deliberation.  Similarly, is there any possibility to falsify this Awareness?

    (Relief: -) There is no opportunity to have such a fear.  For,  the  awareness  of  the  self  occurs  because  of  the  faith  that  the  relation  of  body,  etc.  Of the wakeful    or dream state is real one.  But  the  Awareness  of  Auspiciousness  doesn’t  belong  to  any  state;  and  this  Awareness  is  not  time-bound;  and  this  Awareness  is  an  Intuitive  Experience  of  the  Eternally  Unchanging  One.  Any  object  that  is  time-bound;  there  may  be  a  fear  of  changing  its  own  form.  Who  can  predict  such  a  change  to  the  Supreme  Self  who  is  beyond  the  time?

BY  THE  PREACHING  OF  VENERABLE  PRECEPTOR  THE  AUSPICIOUS  FORM  IS  KNOWN.   

    Here,  a  doubt  may  be  raised:  The  Vedantins  declare, “ I  am  not  a  living  being”.  They, too, engage in the worldly activities like common people.  Then,  what  proof  is  there  to  show  that  the  selfhood  has  gone  and  the  Auspiciousness  has  come?

    A  relief  for  this  doubt:  We  have  clearly  told  in  the  illustration  of  the  rope  and  serpent  that  the  serpent  doesn’t  exist  in  the  rope  and  after  the  dawn  of  right  knowledge  the  serpent  has  not  really  sneaked  away.  Similarly,  we  have  told  that  the  selfhood  is  created  due  to  delusion,  hence,  the  self  hood  doesn’t  really  exist;  and  the  Auspicious  Form,  itself,  is  the  Reality.  It  being  so,  what  is  the  meaning  of  the  following  statements:  the  selfhood  goes  away  and  the  Auspiciousness  comes  into  being?  We  are  always  in  the  Form  of  Auspiciousness;  and  this  is  the  Ultimate  Truth.

    No  proof  is  needed  to  show  that  we  are  of  the  Form  of  Auspiciousness.  For, our Form is not hidden.  In  the  semi-darkness,  a  person  misunderstands  the  rope  to  be  a  snake.  Another  person  who  knows  that  rope  guides  the  frightened  one : ‘ that  is  the  rope,  not  a  snake’.  This guidance drives away the doubt.  Even  after  obtaining  the  guidance,  the  doubter    has  to  firmly  determine  the  rope.  It  is  not  so  in  the  case  of  our  Form  of  the  Self.  Nothing is needed .to show our Form.  The  Self,  itself,  is  in  the  Form  of  Light  of  Awareness.  It  being  so,  if  the  great  preceptor  preaches: ‘ You  are  not  a  body,  etc;  you  are  the  Supreme  Form  of    Auspiciousness’;  by  this  preaching  alone,  as  explained  in  the  previous  verses,  the  seeker  obtains  the  Awareness  that  he  is  the  Witness  who  sees  directly  body,  etc. 

    Many  so  called  Vedantins  utter:  ‘ I  am  not  the  body,  etc;  I  am  of  the  Form  of  Auspiciousness’. They don’t have the experience of the Divinity.  They  have  merely  a  strong  faith  in  the  scriptures  and  the  tradition.  That’s all.  By  the  grace  of  the  great  preceptors,  those  who  really  obtain  the  Intuitive  Experience  of  the  Self,  their  case  is  different  from  the  former  Vedantins.   The  Vedantins  having  faith  alone  have  excessive  egoistic  attachment  towards  worldly  affairs.  But,  the  experiencers  of  Divinity,  are  least  attached  towards  the  worldly  affairs.  They  don’t  get  sorrow  and  delusion  unlike  other  Vedantins  get.  Such  wise  persons  preach  the  Principle  of  the  Self  and  their  disciples  also  are  relieved  of  sorrow  and  delusion.  We  should  not  take  the  examples  of  those  who  merely  utter  the  words  of  scriptures.  Those  who  have  practically  experienced  the  Principle  of  the  Self  have  the  ability  to  show  the  Intuitive  Experience  to  the  others  also.  Such great persons should be the examples.  Such great are called trustworthy persons.  The  words  of  a  trust-worthy  person  who  knows  the  truth  of  the  rope  become  an  authority  to  remove  the  fear  of  the  serpent.  Similarly,  the  words  of  the  great  teacher  who  knows  the  Form  of  Reality  become  an  authority  to  reveal  our  Auspicious  Form  and  to  remove  the  fear  of  the  life  of  transmigration.

    (Objection: -) Many  people  have  listened  to the  preaching: ‘ You  are  the  Universal  Soul  ( Ishvara ),  not   a  petty  self as you imagine’.  Still,  they  have  the  delusion  of  the  life  of  transmigration !

    (Answer: -) It amounts to say that we have already answered.  There  is  a  rule  that  the  preacher  of  the  Reality  should  have  the  Intuitive  Experience  of  the  Divinity.  Similarly,  the  listeners  of  the  preaching  should  have  the  required  eligibility.  Not  only  that,  listening  Vedanta  doesn’t  mean  merely  hearing  a  few  sentences   of  the  Vedanta.  In  the  world,  in  order  to  know  the  very  essence  of  any  subject,  a  student  should  deliberate  upon  that  subject  till  all  of  his  doubts  are  dispelled  and  till  he  knows  that  subject  perfectly.  Similarly,  in  this  case  also,  the  preaching  of  the  great  teacher  should  be  heard  respectfully  by  the  wholly  devoted  listeners;  and  they  should  necessarily  deliberate  well  upon  the  words  of  the  teacher  in  order  to  arrive  at  the  opinion  of  the  preaching. One should deliberate and experiment with the lesson that was heard- that alone leads to the final conclusion.

    If  one who is  ignorant  of  the  rope,  in  spite  of  listening  to  the  wise  words  of  his  friend  is  not  ready  to  look  at  the  rope;  then,  how  shall  he  get  the  knowledge  of  the  rope? He will continue to imagine the rope to be a snake.

Similarly,  listening  to the  sentences  of  Vedanta  and  accumulating  the  information  of  worldly  affairs  together  will  never  yield  the  fruit  of  listening.  By  mere  listening  of  the  Vedantic  sentences,  people  may  find  its  usefulness  in  the  due  course.  But,  they  will  never  obtain  the  immediate  Perception  of  their  Self  by  mere  listening  to  the  words  of  the  Teacher.  We  are,  everyone  of  us,  of  the  Auspicious  Form.  This  is  the  Reality  which  can  be  obtained  by  the  Knowledge  of  the  Self  alone.  In  order  to  have  this  Knowledge,  the  aspirants  should  have  the  qualities  like:  faith,  whole  devotedness,  sense-control,  service  of  the  Teacher,  the  deliberation  on  the  Reality,  etc;  otherwise,  they  never  obtain  the  Knowledge.  Therefore,  the  seekers  of  liberation  should  be  endowed  with  the  wealth  of  these expedients  and  then,  if  they  listen  to  the  preaching  of  an  excellent  teacher;  then,  they  certainly  obtain  the  fruitful  Self-Knowledge. There is no  doubt  in  it.

(to be continued in the next edition of Venugaanam)

Construction Updates- Making of Sai Krushna Mandir

With the Divine Blessings and grace of our Beloved Swami, Phase 1 of the children’s home – Sai Krushna Mandir – is to be inaugurated on 23^rd 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 earthwork, excavation and foundation work for Phase 1 of Sai Krushna Mandir was completed in the first week of August. The ground floor roof is expected to be completed by the first week of September.  

      Sai Krushna Mandir Phase 1 after completion

The dry summer in Southern India had been a cause of concern and the onset of monsoons in mid August was a huge relief for not just the agriculturists, but also from the perspective of construction. As mentioned in the previous update, the foundation work was finished in end July and the plinth work has also been done in first week of August. The monsoons could not have been timed better for us as the cement needs curing just after foundation work is ready. This will ensure maximum strength and natural curing. Our construction consultants- Shankarnarayan consultancy- have designed the foundation particularly strong to allow for future expansion of the building vertically by even 2 additional floors. This will ensure saving of useful land space for play. Once foundation was complete, the land refilling has been completed and the columns and beams now project above the ground. The floor plan markings have been done for ground floor and the work is in earnest progress to complete the ground floor roof by the first week of September. The common entrance area for portico, lift and stair case have all been clearly demarcated. Plumbing, electrical and roof diagrams are expected shortly to enable construction work.  The members of the SKM construction team are also making frequent site visits to monitor the quality and quantum of progress.

Our construction consultants, the civil contractor Mr Umesh and members of the SKM construction team are all satisfied with the rate of progress and quality of construction. Kindly see the attached photos. We are working to ensure good safety standards by not allowing children near the site. Children of the construction workers are attending the Sharavathi Higher Primary school while their parents go to work. On Krushna Janmashthami day, sweets were also distributed for all the construction workers.

We look forward to all your active involvement and participation in this God given opportunity. We also welcome you to come and visit the site and witness the making of Sai Krushna Mandir. From our side, we will keep you updated through Venugaanam and the website. You are free to contact us directly for any further information. We are confident that, just as Swami’s bounteous blessings ensured the procurement of excellent drinking water and land, Swami’s grace will crown our genuine intentions and He will continue to guide and bless the entire effort.

School Updates- Independence Day Celebrations

SHARAVATHI SCHOOL UPDATE

The 66^th Independence day of our country was marked with celebration and festivity at the Sharavathi Kannada Higher Primary School. The programme began with assemble of the students and marching which was followed by the flag hoisting and singing of the National Anthem.

All the students from the school between classes 1-10 participated in various cultural programmes highlighting different aspects of Indian culture. The themes varied from freedom struggle and patriotism, to the glorious culture of India and its stress on human values.

Each class had prepared 2 items in the form of a skit/ dance/ drama/ musical recital/ speech. The children were dressed in colourful attires and performed with great rhythm. The teachers of the school had paid special attention in training the children for this day and it was the outcome of this dedicated effort that the programme exceeded all expectations.
The function was attended by many dignitaries and guests from Lions Club of Jayanagar and the members of Sai Krushna Charitable Trust. Pictures of the programme may be seen below and will also be available in the gallery section of the website in greater detail.

Scholarship for an alumnus to pursue higher studies: One of the students of the school, Mr Sathish who passed out of the 10^th grade of the school last year was also give a merit cum means scholarship of Rs 1700/- only to pursue an ITI Technical training course in the nearby government college. Sathish has been a rank holder throughout his high school and was about to enter construction profession after the 10^th grade to support his family. His family had been struggling financially after his father had left them and it was up to Sathish , his brother and sister to help their mother who makes an income by selling flowers. Considering the financial constraints and the keen interest and potential of Sathish, a decision was taken by Sai Krushna Charitable Trust to provide a scholarship for his future education

The Independence day function concluded with a tree plantation (Van Mahotsav) programme. The children of the school planted various kinds of trees like Neem, drumstick and some fruit bearing trees along the boundary of Sai krushna Mandir site. The trees were also protected with bushes and thorny plants to keep animals away. The children have been regularly watering the plants and tending them with care.

Astrology and Spirituality- Moon symbolizes Mother Aspect

By KVRK Bhargav

(Bhargav is a student of Swami who after completing his B.Tech in Textile Engineering 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 has been blessed with many interactions with Swami and 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)

 He gets the coveted place as a crescent in the locks of Lord Shiva and adorns the forehead of Divine mother. The sublime beauty of Divine mother gives her the epithet of  Sharad chandra nibhanana(face shining like the autumn moon) in Lalita Sahasranamam. The charming personality and pleasing demeanour of Lord Rama gave him  the name Rama-chandra. In the religion of Islam he is considered very auspicious for breaking the Ramzan fast on the day of Id.

"Dreamers can find their way by moonlight and their only punishment is that they see the dawn before the rest of the world." says Oscar Wilde. Moon or Chandra has been an inspiration from time immemorial in religion, mythology, art and literature. Its beauty and grandeur makes many a philosophers, poets, writers and mystics extol its myriad facets. He awakens eager thought: he is a generator of hymns, a leader of poets, a seer among priests.

Moon is a planet of beauty, emotions, sensitivity, compassion, devotion and hospitality. Chandra is also identified with the Vedic Lunar deity Soma (lit. "juice"). The Soma name refers particularly to the sap in the plants and thus makes the Moon the lord of plants and vegetation. It is scientifically proven that moon rays are essential for the growth of all the plant kingdom. Lord Krishna says in verse 13^th of Chapter 15^th   of Bhagwad Gita –‘Pushanami choushadhi sarva somo bhootwa rasatmakaha’- Becoming the sap-giving moon, I nourish all the plants. (15.13)

'Chandrama Manaso Jataha' says Purushasuktam. Moon is the ruler of mind and all the senses are controlled by the mind. The crucial importance of Chandra Graha (Moon Planet) lies in the fact that it controls five senses of human life.  
Moon signifies the mother aspect of nature. Natives with strong moon are excellent hosts and have a caring and nurturing attitude towards all. They are very attached to their families.
People with strong moon have corpulent bodies as moon comprises kapha constitution. These natives are generally fickle and moody and vacillate like the phases of the moon.
Moon is an indicator of the females, the public, general well-being and happiness, femininity and beauty, the eyesight and memory. The moon or Chandra which represents the mind gives all the senses vitality and ability to enjoy life in all its splendour.
 Moon is the planet of masses and mass appeal as it shines equally on all without any reservations. Natives with strong moon can very easily understand the pulse of the masses and can become mass leaders. Jawahar Lal Nehru had a strong moon in the first house of self in his horoscope, giving him a charismatic personality which he used predominantly for his political aspirations. Swami Vivekananda on the other hand had a strong philosophical and insightful moon which he used for philanthropic and spiritual purposes. 
Moon indicates early childhood and primary education. A native with weak moon has a troubled childhood and unfruitful primary education. Albert Einstein had a weak moon resulting in his lack of interest in education in school. Charles Dickens also had a weak moon resulting in his traumatic and disturbed childhood which he portrayed admirably in the character of Pip in his novel 'Great Expectations'.
A waxing moon is strong compared to a waning moon. A full moon is generally a harbinger of spiritual perfection giving the native traits like universal love, devotion and wisdom. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born on a full moon which resulted in the flowering of his unparalleled devotion to Krishna.  
Weak or afflicted Chandra gives mood swings, pessimistic attitude, depressive tendencies and irritability. Due to weak Chandra, problems like mental retardation, skin and nerve problems, jaundice, fluid accumulation are also observed. The term lunacy has its origin in lunar i.e. related to moon. The best remedy for all these problems related to moon is respect and service of one's mother. Swami always tells us to keep our parents happy especially our mother. It is a waste of time, money and energy to consult an astrologer and perform all the poojas prescribed by him without following this dictum. Avoiding dark clothes and wearing white clothes, partaking white items like rice, milk and curd also is very helpful to keep the mind always positive and happy in addition to namasmarana and worshipping divine mother.
As we celebrate the Ganesha Chaturthi festival this month let us throw some light on the chaturthi(fourth day): Chaturthi is the fourth digital phase of the waxing moon. The spiritualists believe that Amavasya or the moonless night is the period of hibernation of this luminary. When one wakes up from the deep slumber, one gets fully conscious in the fourth stage. These are 'Swapna', 'Swaap', 'Jagaran' and 'Chetana' which can be loosely rendered as the stage of dream, hangover, awakening and consciousness. It is in the fourth stage that one is fully conscious after getting up. In this stage one sees the world as it exists, sans any imagination or dream. Hence this is the stage when one's all senses are fully conscious and alert. This is also the stage when one can fully concentrate with total devotion. It is for this reason that those who are well versed in spiritualism recommend worship of Lord Ganesh. the first god to be worshipped, on the Chaturthi Day.*

Let us now read the story:

Ganesha and the Moon Once on his birthday, Ganesha ate too many sweets and had difficulty moving due to his big belly. Looking at him, Moon laughed mockingly. Parvati who saw that got angry with Moon and cursed that who ever sees Moon will be blamed for things they did not do.  All the Gods and humans were worried because every one sees the moon every night, They prayed to Parvati to modify her curse.  Parvati relented and said that if people worship Ganesha on his birthday, fourth day of the rising moon in the month of Bhadrapada, and then sees the Moon, they will face no problems and instead receive good luck.

Lord Ganesha cursing the moon

The next story will tell us how Lord Krishna got into trouble because he saw Moon on Ganesha’s birthday without worshipping him.

Krishna Himself Worships Vinayaka

The story of the Syamantaka Mani shows how powerful the curse of Ganesha is. Satrajit of Dwaraka had a gem called Syamantaka Mani. It was dazzling and beautiful. If it was worshipped with devotion it used to give plenty of gold every day. Once, even Krishna asked to borrow it but Satrajit refused to lend it to anyone.

Once Prasena, Satrajit's brother, went out hunting. He was wearing the Syamantaka Mani. A lion killed him and went to a cave, carrying the gem. A bear by name Jambavan killed the lion and gave the Syamantaka Mani to his cub to play with. This Jambavan was not an ordinary bear; he was the heroic follower of Shri Rama.

When Prasena did not return to Dwaraka, Satrajit became worried. Satrajit then suspected that Krishna himself had killed him for the sake of the Syamantaka Mani. After all, he did want to borrow it. The rumor spread throughout the kingdom.

Krishna had not done anything wrong. So when he heard about Satrajit's doubts, he was angry. To prove himself innocent, he went in search of Prasena.

He found the corpse of Prasena. There were footprints of a lion nearby. Following these footprints, Krishna entered the cave of Jambavan. He fought with Jambavan for twenty-eight days. At last, Jambavan understood that Shri Krishna was Shri Rama himself in another form. He finally offered the Syamantaka Mani to Lord Krishna.

Krishna gave the Syamantaka to Satrajit and put an end to the evil rumors. However, he was still surprised at what had happened. "How could such things be said of me even when I had not done anything wrong?”  Narada Muni told him the story of Ganesha's curse and said, "You saw the Moon on the fourth day." Krishna then remembered how he saw the reflection of the moon in a bucket of milk.

Then Krishna worshipped Ganesha. Siddhi-Vinayaka Vrata, the worship of Ganesha, is performed on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada. The devotees believe that those who see the Moon on that day will not suffer, if they listen to the story of the Syamantaka Mani.  

It says that by observing this Ganesh Puja mankind can attain their just and dharmik desires.  Students who aspire good education, achieve excellence in education.  Those who desire prosperity will attain prosperity.  People who pray for children get children. Warriors become victorious, and seekers of true knowledge attain spiritual knowledge and through it liberation. **

*Source: www.bhriguashram.org/ver3/ganesh.php#(d)TheSpiritualSignificanceoftheChaturthiDay
** Source:  www.balavikas.org

A Journey Within- Past Life Regression(PLR)

-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 )

“Who are we really? Combinations of common chemicals that perform mechanical actions for a few years before crumbling back into the original components? Fresh new souls, drawn at random for some celestial cupboard where God keeps an unending supply?

Or the same soul, immortal and eternal, refurbished and reused through endless lives, by that thrifty Housekeeper? In Her wisdom and benevolence She wipes off the memory slates, as part of the cleaning process, because if we could remember all the things we have experienced in earlier lives, we might object to risking it again.”
― Barbara Michaels, The Sea King's Daughter

As a regression therapist I am asked a few pointed and recurring questions on Past Lives. I am capturing some key elements of the theory of Past Lives, needless to say, in my own perspective.

The world is divided on the topic of reincarnation. There have been many cases where the past life experience registered in a regression session could not be verified. There certainly have been many cases where the details could be documented. I have seen a pretty neutral video documentary once, on the topic of past lives where both types of cases were testified. Frankly, I had not thought much about this until I learnt and started practicing PLRs. Based on my learning and personal experience my thoughts and beliefs on the subject crystallized (at least for now). Sharing these with you...

At the outset, the context for PLRs, is set (for me) by the underlying healing out of a problem (physical or mental plane) of the client. It is imperative to keep this in mind as you read on. That said, there are two ways of considering a PLR: 1) As a truthful account of a lifetime that has been lived earlier or 2) A metaphoric imagery in the deep recess of the person’s subconscious mind. Either way, it is my experience that these ‘memories’ or ‘figments of imagination’ have a lasting impact in the day-to-day life of the client. When the person ‘views’ his / her past life and figures out the root cause of the issue in current life, magically it seems to result in the healing of the issue on hand.

That brings us to the question: How could a memory or an imaginary memory create such an impact in our lives? The answer is this:There is a popular (metaphysical) concept of ‘cellular memories’ that postulates that every cell in the human body carries memories of the individual. In fact much as the DNA represents or contains all genetic instructions of the organism, the cells seem to be a holographic representation of memories and metaphysical aspects of the ‘being’ (or person). These memories are repressed or lay dormant unless there is a ‘trigger’ that incites them into action. The trigger itself could be from any source: person (met a stranger who seems familiar?), place (ever visited a place first time and felt you’ve been here before?), time and so on. Once activated the person could feel or go through emotions or physical changes that seem unnatural or unwarranted in the present day circumstances.

In a PLR, under hypnosis, when we try to get to the source of the problem, the subconscious mind of the person brings up the memory (irrespective of lifetime, current or otherwise) and the person finds a deep seated meaning and lesson in the current experience. The therapist helps the client in using this knowledge to heal that memory and implement the learning in current life. There are many documented cases of how these regressions have helped people in their day-to-day lives.

Books by Dr. Brian Weiss (Many Lives Many Masters) & Dr. Micheal Newton (Journey of the Soul) where they have captured case studies of such PLRs throw more light on this topic.

Please feel free to write back to me at info@SunshineStudio.in with your feedback, questions and suggestions. In my next post I shall outline a simple method by which you could practice doing regressions on your own and benefit from a dive into the metaphors and memories of your subconscious mind.

Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body- Amaranth

-By S. Pushpalata
(S. Pushpalata, a student of Swami did her B.Sc AND M.Sc. (Food science and nutrition) in Anantapur campus of SSSIHL between 1996-2001.She then went on to complete her MBA from ICFAI University and also qualified the prestigious NET examination. She also has experience serving the Super Speciality Hospital at Puttaparthi as a dietician. Currently she works as a lecturer in Jamshedpur Women’s college in the department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics. Pushpalata is an active member in the Sathya Sai Organization as a state co-ordinator for the Education wing of Bihar and Jharkhand.)



Green Leafy vegetables,the common man’s healthy foods,are rightly placed under the category of protective foods.They are less expensive as compared to other vegetables and are available throughout the year. Majority of the green leafy vegetables belong to Amarathaceae family. In India,Amaranth is commonly cultivated as rabi crop in hilly areas. But it is also grown in the plains of Andhra Pradesh,Gujarat,Madhya Pradesh,Maharastra and Tamilnadu.

VARIETIES:
In India, about 20 species are found wild and some of them are domesticated and cultivated as pot herbs. Six varieties of Amaranthus sp., are grown in different parts of India.The varieties grown for grains are known as grain Amaranthus and the varieties cultivated for foliage are known as leafy Amaranthus.

Amaranthus Plant

LOCAL NAMES IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

Hindi- Chaulai

Kannada -Dantu

Malayalam -Cheru Cheerathandu

Tamil-Keerai

Telugu-Thotakoora

Marathi -Matha-chedeth

NURITIVE VALUE OF LEAFY AMARANTHUS

Amaranthus leaves are rich in various nutrients, and because of this nutritional wealth, it is regarded as very important leafy vegetable as compared to all other vegetables. It is an excellent source of iron, calcium, protein, vitamin-C and other trace elements. In addition, these leaves contains unsaturated fatty acids. Tender shoots and leaves are used in soups and curries.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF AMARANTHUS LEAVES

Amaranthus leaves contain several medicinal properties. The varieties of A.hybridus are used for curing indigestion and the dark red varietiy to remove toxic substances from the system. Amaranthus roots are galactogenic.They provide relief for those suffering from stomach pain. These leaves have laxative properties. External application of plant extract is believed to cure burns and is used as antiseptic. The decoction of the flowers has curing properties in Haemorrhages. A.hybridus is used to cure piles,to purify blood and helps in reducing the pain in discharging urine.It is reported to be highly effective in prevention of scury and it’s leaves are used to relieve chest congestion. External application of these leaves provides healing effect to sores caused by infection. The decoction of this plant is also used as diuretic. The roots of A.Tricolor and other species are used to cure worm infestation caused by Ascaris sp. The seeds of A.virdis are also said to have antihelmenthic properties.

AMARANTHUS IN YOUR DIET

Amaranthus seeds

Apart from using them as curries and soups we can prepare number of recipes from them. Amaranth seeds on light roasting pop up and tastes like popcorn.The light brown and crisp popped Amaranth grains are mixed with either sugar or jaggery syrup to make ladoos. Pancakes are also prepared with dough of amaranth grains. They can be added in Dosa batter, Pakodas, Rotis and Chutneys. As we know it has good content of Protein it should not be cooked for long time. We should always remember any food which contains high amounts of protein should not be exposed to high temperature because prolong cooking destroys protein and vitamin C.Cooking Amaranth leaves in 10% oil helps in greater retention of vitamin A. So to retain protein ,vitamin A and vitamin C short cooking time is recommended.

Amranthus grains and greens contain well balanced combination of macro and micronutrients that are required for our health. The grains of amaranth contain energy yielding and body building nutrients like carbohydrates and proteins, while the leaves contain protective nutrients. The most important contribution of amaranth in our diet is as a very good source of fiber, which makes it very  important for Diabetics and Heart patients. The importance of this vegetable is felt by many agriculturists the world over and first Amaranthus Congress was held in Mexico in September 1991.According to FAO. It is placed at 100^TH position among the foods as it has the highest concentration of protein followed by corn, wheat, soya and cow milk. Therefore, awareness and proper education to the farming community about the importance of amaranth cultivation as a main crop for greens and grains will improve their economic status and help in making them self sufficient. Sensitizing the community members on the nutritional value of these grains and greens and encouraging them to grow in kitchen gardens will not only provide dietary diversification but also go a long way in combating micronutrient deficiency. Sri Sathya Sai Village Integrated Programmes (SSSVIP) can play very good role in creating awareness in villages regarding amaranth cultivation.

SOME USEFUL TIPS IN COOKING THESE GREENS TO HAVE MAXIMUM BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ARE:

-Buy greens when they are fresh and use them same day.

-Wash the greens in running water to remove mud and dirt.

-Cut them into big pieces and immediately transfer them to pressure cooker to avoid loss of nutrients.

-Include vitamin C rich foods in the diet, as they enhance absorption of iron present in these grains. (Always add lemon juice to any green leaf curry after cooking when it is cold.)

Consider all green leafy vegetables and especially those of amaranth family as an integral part of your daily life. They are the protective –foods given by God with an immense potential to ward off many nutrition-related diseases. Grow them in your backyards as they are easily grown without much care and attention. Cultivate the habit of growing them regularly. These greens are indeed a treasure-trove of nutrients.