Celestial picture of Lord Sai with broken garland during bhajans
Happy Sai New Year
Sairam Beloved Bhaktas of Lord Sai
I'm finally getting a chance to write about our wonderful New Year's Day experience. My neck flared up recently and I had to attend to it. I'm feeling much better now thanks be to the Lord of the universe our Divine Baba.
We had New Year's day bhajans at our Sai Sister, Neesa & Brother, Kamalesh's home. There was a nice turnout, and even some people who were not Sai devotees.
First day of the year always feels so special. A brand new fresh start to everything. Spicy, sweet fragrance and goodwill of Christmas still lingers in the air.
The bhajans began with blessed praise to Lord Ganesha rising in fervor, adoration and one pointed devotion towards our Lord Sai. Swami's presence was palpable. At one point while Uncle Buddy was pouring his heart out in love to Swami, the garland decorating our Lord Sai's picture snapped in half.
O Swami how fortunate are we to have the Bliss of Your Divine company!!!
After bhajans, Dr. Gnana Bhaskar gave an inspiring talk, commenting on the passage of time and how time consumes everything in this impermanent world. And, according to Adi Shankaracharya, if we hope to find lasting bliss and happiness we cannot expect to find it in this transient world. Only the path to God will lead us to eternal happiness, everlasting peace, our real, immortal, deathless truth.
The Palm Bay Sai Center is indeed extremely blessed to have one of Swami's students, Dr. Gnana Bhaskar in its midst. We concluded the celebrations with a wonderful dinner and Prasad.
Since I wasn't that hungry I sat in the Pooja room of sister Neesa's home. While meditating I noticed a container with orange material in it at the altar. "Could it be.... Baba's robe?" I whispered aloud. Excitedly, I dashed out of the pooja room and approached Neesa's husband Kamalesh. "Yes," he confirmed, "this is a robe Swami wore." Compassionately, his eyes gleaming with Divine love, he opened the precious box and allowed me to touch the robe of God. What an ecstatic beginning to the New Year!
A few days after the New Year I was reading a passage from Sadhana the Inward Path, p. 202: There are three entities in the universe, with which man has to deal; they are: Paramatma, Prakrithi, and Jivatma, God, Nature and Man. Of these, God has to be worshipped by man, to be realized by man through Nature or Prakrithi. Nature is the name for all the various items that impress upon man the glory and the splendor of God. It is called Maya too. Maya is the vesture of God, which hides as well as reveals His Beauty and Majesty. Man must learn to use Nature not for his comfort or entanglement to the utter forgetfulness of the God behind the joy he derives, but, for the better understanding of the Intelligence that guides the Universe. How does a tree grow or a flower bloom, how does man learn about the stars and space, except by the inspiration of the Joy and the Intelligence which He who resides within endows? Approach nature in a humble, prayerful mood; then your future will be safe. Ravana coveted Sitha, who represents Prakrithi, Nature, and stealthily brought her over; but, that selfishness and greed led him into the deepest fall. If only he had coveted the God behind Nature, Rama, he could have earned eternal Joy.
This reminded me of a dream I had recently: In the dream, I was with my husband, David and another woman, not sure who. We were dancing together in a Sufi circle. A beautiful Paramahamsa Yogananda song was playing over and over as we danced ecstatically - "Listen, Listen, Listen to my heart's song. I will never forget thee, I will never forsake thee. Listen, Listen, Listen to my heart's song. I will never forget thee, I will never forsake thee."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QegXWlvRCo&t=35s
Yes! dearest Swami we will never forget you, we will never forsake you.
You will never forget us, you will never forsake us.
Lots of Sai Blessings & Prema For the New Year and Beyond
I'm finally getting a chance to write about our wonderful New Year's Day experience. My neck flared up recently and I had to attend to it. I'm feeling much better now thanks be to the Lord of the universe our Divine Baba.
We had New Year's day bhajans at our Sai Sister, Neesa & Brother, Kamalesh's home. There was a nice turnout, and even some people who were not Sai devotees.
First day of the year always feels so special. A brand new fresh start to everything. Spicy, sweet fragrance and goodwill of Christmas still lingers in the air.
The bhajans began with blessed praise to Lord Ganesha rising in fervor, adoration and one pointed devotion towards our Lord Sai. Swami's presence was palpable. At one point while Uncle Buddy was pouring his heart out in love to Swami, the garland decorating our Lord Sai's picture snapped in half.
O Swami how fortunate are we to have the Bliss of Your Divine company!!!
After bhajans, Dr. Gnana Bhaskar gave an inspiring talk, commenting on the passage of time and how time consumes everything in this impermanent world. And, according to Adi Shankaracharya, if we hope to find lasting bliss and happiness we cannot expect to find it in this transient world. Only the path to God will lead us to eternal happiness, everlasting peace, our real, immortal, deathless truth.
The Palm Bay Sai Center is indeed extremely blessed to have one of Swami's students, Dr. Gnana Bhaskar in its midst. We concluded the celebrations with a wonderful dinner and Prasad.
Since I wasn't that hungry I sat in the Pooja room of sister Neesa's home. While meditating I noticed a container with orange material in it at the altar. "Could it be.... Baba's robe?" I whispered aloud. Excitedly, I dashed out of the pooja room and approached Neesa's husband Kamalesh. "Yes," he confirmed, "this is a robe Swami wore." Compassionately, his eyes gleaming with Divine love, he opened the precious box and allowed me to touch the robe of God. What an ecstatic beginning to the New Year!
A few days after the New Year I was reading a passage from Sadhana the Inward Path, p. 202: There are three entities in the universe, with which man has to deal; they are: Paramatma, Prakrithi, and Jivatma, God, Nature and Man. Of these, God has to be worshipped by man, to be realized by man through Nature or Prakrithi. Nature is the name for all the various items that impress upon man the glory and the splendor of God. It is called Maya too. Maya is the vesture of God, which hides as well as reveals His Beauty and Majesty. Man must learn to use Nature not for his comfort or entanglement to the utter forgetfulness of the God behind the joy he derives, but, for the better understanding of the Intelligence that guides the Universe. How does a tree grow or a flower bloom, how does man learn about the stars and space, except by the inspiration of the Joy and the Intelligence which He who resides within endows? Approach nature in a humble, prayerful mood; then your future will be safe. Ravana coveted Sitha, who represents Prakrithi, Nature, and stealthily brought her over; but, that selfishness and greed led him into the deepest fall. If only he had coveted the God behind Nature, Rama, he could have earned eternal Joy.
This reminded me of a dream I had recently: In the dream, I was with my husband, David and another woman, not sure who. We were dancing together in a Sufi circle. A beautiful Paramahamsa Yogananda song was playing over and over as we danced ecstatically - "Listen, Listen, Listen to my heart's song. I will never forget thee, I will never forsake thee. Listen, Listen, Listen to my heart's song. I will never forget thee, I will never forsake thee."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QegXWlvRCo&t=35s
Yes! dearest Swami we will never forget you, we will never forsake you.
You will never forget us, you will never forsake us.
Lots of Sai Blessings & Prema For the New Year and Beyond
Kamalesh & Neesa's Pooja room with sacred Swami robe
