National President's Welcome |
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Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
Pray that you are all keeping well and enjoying the lovely summer.
It is lovely to hear feedback from many of you either directly or via your Centre/Group Presidents or Regional Presidents on the various activities that have been happening, as well as these monthly Love & Light editions.
Since joining the Sri Sathya Sai Global Council last year, there has been a lot of work happening in the background and I am happy to share that we had our first General Assembly Meeting via Zoom on 24th July.
Attendees included the Sri Sathya Sai Global Council Chair, Mr K Chakravarthi, the Vice Chair, Mr Nimish Pandya, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust Members including the Managing Trustee, Mr RJ Rathnakar and all the Zonal Presidents and country leads. Most of the UK National Council also attended. It was an opportunity to hear directly from our senior leaders, as well as learn about all the different activities from around the world.
Please do visit the Sathya Sai Global Council website highlighting various activities throughout the world:
https://www.srisathyasaiglobalcouncil.org/
With the auspicious occasion of Krishna Janmashtami imminent, it is a time to reflect upon our Dear Lord Sai Krishna and pray that He continues to lead us down the right path and keep us forever close to His Divine Lotus Feet.
Krishna was born during the Krishnapaksha, the dark fortnight of the month. The effulgence of the Lord is seen with greater effect, when it is dark. In a world of disorder, Krishna was born to establish order. He was born on Ashtami day. Ashtami is associated with trouble and difficulties. When do troubles arise? When Righteousness is forgotten. Krishna's advent signifies the dispelling of darkness, the removal of troubles, banishing of ignorance and teaching mankind the Supreme Wisdom.
Sri Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 23, Ch. 26
Jai Sai Ram
Ketan Gokani
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Popular event returns after three-year wait |
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Sai Smaran 2022 |
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The Scriptures lay down Bhajan (group devotional singing), Naamasmaran (Remembering God's Name) and Sankeerthan (devotional music) as the Saadhanas (spiritual practices) of this Age. Bhajan is the process of singing your prayers to God, praising His glory and compassion, and pleading that He may fill you with His Grace.
Sri Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 11, Ch. 37
With the Grace of Bhagawan, we are delighted that we will be recommencing the wonderful event of singing His Divine Name at Sai Smaran Bhajans. A day filled by singing, listening, remembering and contemplating on His Glory and Majesty.
Let us all join together on Saturday 10th September 2022 with family and friends in Leicester, to share the joy of offering our deep gratitude and love in the form of Bhajans (devotional singing) to our Beloved Bhagawan, so that we are all recipients of His Love and Blessings.
- Date: Saturday 10th September 2022
- Time: 10am - 4pm
- Venue: Leicester, address TBC
Please note:
- If you wish to sing (and are a regular lead bhajan singer at your Centre or Group) or play an instrument at this year’s Sai Smaran, please submit your recordings by 19th August to your Regional Spiritual Coordinator, who will collate and pass on recordings to the Sai Smaran Team. Please note that submission of recordings does not automatically mean that the singer will be selected to sing.
- For singers, please submit 2-3 bhajans with only tanpura/shruti in the background.
- If you are an instrumentalist, please send a recording from a live session at which you have played.
We look forward to seeing you on the day.
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Several hundred attend uplifting event |
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Prayers for Universal Peace 2022 |
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For devotees who eagerly anticipate the annual National Prayers for Universal Peace in the lead-up to the event, the end of this three-year wait was met with pure elation. Starting on Friday 15th July, volunteers from across the UK made their way to the Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple, tucked in the corner of Birmingham, to help set up for the Rudra Ekadashi. With bags of vibrant material from Leicester, boxes of tech equipment from London and vans of flowers and chairs from Wolverhampton, resources were gathered from all over the country to be combined together in hours of preparation across the next two days as the initial offering of service at His Divine Lotus Feet.
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Sunday morning began with streams of devotees taking their seats in the sanctum sanctorum, awaiting the arrival of the Vedam chanters and the Shiva Lingam. The sound of Shiva bhajans beautifully collided with the powerful Vedas as the female and male chanters, led by Bal Vikas students, entered the grounds. The priests opened the event with the Sankalpam, inviting all attendees to state their intention and to focus and harmonise their mind and body. With fifty couples ready to begin the Paaduka Puja (worship of the holy feet of our Dearest Bhagawan), the chanters began the first of the eleven rounds of Namakam, whilst the Abhishekam commenced. As each round of Namakam and Chamakam passed, the congregation watched as the priests offered oblations of milk, ghee, rose water, vibhuti and so forth to the Shiva Lingam, sanctifying each item. Around 450 devotees, including over 70 Vedam chanters, were able to witness these powerful prayers.
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Such an event reminds us of the sacrifice we make internally; as each item is offered to Agni, the pathway to God, so do we also remember to surrender our thoughts, words and deeds to the fire within us. This auspicious event not only seeks universal peace and happiness for every being through the amplification of positive vibrations, but, to be present in the atmosphere, strengthens our universal endeavour of the search for mokṣa as each round of Namakam ends with oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam urvārukamiva bandhanān mṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt (we worship the three-eyed One, who has divine fragrance and who nourishes all beings; as effortlessly as a ripened cucumber falls from its stalk, release me from death to reach immortality; may we not divert ourselves from the path of liberation).
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Every individual’s prayer directed the united effort to remove chaos and disharmony in the world today. The eleven rounds came to an end before the priest dressed the Shiva Lingam ready for darshan, and after prashadam was served by the temple, we ended with mellifluous bhajans and aarti. It is only by the will of our Divine Lord that we are blessed with the opportunity to be a part of such an event, despite the hurdles of Covid we have all endured, and we can only hope that we will meet again. Until then, let the vibrations created through this reverential Homam see us through till next year.
Triveni Patel
Region 4
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Provisions donated by members from around the UK |
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Providing aid to Ukraine and Moldova |
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In June, the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation UK and Sri Sathya Sai Global Council Foundation, Inc. USA donated an ambulance for service in Ukraine and Moldova. The ambulance has been delivered by a partner charity, TEECH. In their own August newsletter, TEECH includes a few photos of their missions "using the ambulance kindly paid for by Sri Sathya Sai Organisation UK and Sri Sathya Sai Global Council Foundation, Inc., USA" (as quoted from their publication).
On their return to the UK, TEECH highlighted to us the continuing plight of our brothers and sisters out there and the desperate need for provisions.
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We are thankful that the outpouring of love from members of our Organisation and others who heard about this service opportunity has resulted in over 6 tonnes of essential everyday provisions and 50 items of new children’s clothing being donated. They will be on their way this week.
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Outpouring of Liquid Love |
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Blood donation 2022 |
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Whenever there is a need for blood donation, you should come forward to donate your blood. Thereby fulfil your obligation to your parents and society.
Sri Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 37, Ch. 1
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Pictures of members around the country giving someone the gift of life by participating in blood donation.
Born in society, brought up in society, educated by society and deriving countless benefits from society, what are you doing for society? Social service should be regarded as an expression of gratitude to society for what it has done to us.
Sri Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 22, Ch. 6
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Several activities undertaken nationwide |
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Global Service Day 2022 |
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Last month’s issue included a summary of Global Service Day activities in Regions 5 and 7. This is a pictorial roundup of merely a few activities carried out by other regions on that occasion, such as supporting local food banks, homeless service, local collections for Ukraine, goody bags for the elderly and entertaining elders.
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Continuing the series of personal stories from SSSO UK Young Adults |
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My personal Sai journey |
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mūkaṃ karoti vācālaṃ paṃguṃ laṃghayate giri
yat kṛpā tamahaṃ vaṃde paramānaṃda mādhavam
I salute that supreme bliss, Madhava,
by whose mercy the dumb become most eloquent
and the lame are able to jump over the mountains.
If there is one unmistakable characteristic that singles out our dearest Bhagawan as the Lord incarnate, it is His ability to transform the hearts and minds of those individuals that have had the good fortune to know Him. Indeed, Swami himself has said: “Transformation of society must start with transformation of individuals.” (Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 31, Ch 1: 1 January 1998)
This is the second in a series of articles showcasing the personal journeys of Young Adults from across the United Kingdom, as they share with us how Swami has transformed their lives in a very deep and lasting way. In this issue, we hear from Sister Aranee Navaratnam, Joint Spiritual Coordinator for Region 3.
My relationship with Swami has always been beyond His physical form. I became acutely aware of this on a visit to Prasanthi when I was eight years old and realised that my journey with Swami was not about seeing His physical form, but feeling his presence and His guidance by practising His teachings throughout my life. As I grew up, I began to view these teachings from different perspectives as their meanings changed and new meanings arose with deeper truths. Furthermore, I learned that the concepts of right and wrong are not as black and white as I had previously thought. There are a lot of grey areas, and what may be right for one may not be right for another and this helped me appreciate everyone’s journey equally and be more compassionate towards everyone. I believe that in each person’s life experience, there is tremendous potential for spiritual growth and it is up to us to use these experiences to grow spiritually – one way that really helps is to journal and write things down.
It is through practising Swami’s teachings that in 2002, at 15 years old, when I was incredibly stressed with GCSEs and societal pressures, Swami sent me a friend who is now my husband, Prashanthan. I truly believe Swami brought him into my life to support me when I was trying to find my way and he still continues to be that support to this day. A year before I married Prashanthan in 2011, my brother took his own life and this left me devastated as we were incredibly close. Again, Swami’s teachings gave me great resilience and Swami also gave me the strength to break down the barriers I had built up within myself and to be brave enough to show my vulnerability by sharing my own story with others. It is then that Swami inspired me to start writing a blog about my journey and this has built up my own courage and at the same time helped me serve others. I think it is important to be brave and show our weaknesses to help others, and understand that it’s ok to be imperfect in a world that thrives on external validation and perfection. Yes, I have failed in my life and am proud of it, because if it weren’t for those failures I would not be where I am today and, in each hardship, there has been spiritual growth. Haven’t we all failed before? In our society, we cover up failure. Failure is a stepping stone to success. One of my favourite quotes from Swami is, “You must be a Lotus, unfolding its petals when the Sun rises in the sky, unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water which sustains it.”
The greatest challenge for me has been to try and stay connected to Swami and the Organisation, which have helped me immensely. I want to give back to the Organisation and devotees what Swami has given to me. Each time I felt circumstances in my life get very stressful and I wanted to pull away from the Organisation, Swami grabbed my hand and pulled me in closer and when I was about to step away, a role would come my way. There was another time more recently when I thought to myself, “I am so stressed and am not sure I can cope" and I thought of giving up; I got an indirect message saying, “You have work to do, where do you think you are going? You are on this mission.”
What I have discovered over the years is that the true essence of being is love. To live in love and be love. Smile and share the love you have within you to all those around you.
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Start of insightful series; more to come later this month |
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Young Adult Career Workshops |
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On Sunday 31st July, Young Adults in Regions 1 and 2 began a series of online career workshops with a session on Data Science and Cyber Security.
The session was led by Sister Divya Balasubramanian from Region 1, a Senior Data Scientist working for NHS England and Sister Akshitha Canchi from Region 7, a Product Cybersecurity Engineer working for GE Aviation. Both speakers shared their personal career journeys, what their jobs involve as well as the skills needed to excel in their fields and make job applications stand out.
The session was attended by fifteen participants and was very insightful. Sister Divya shared ways to get practical experience in data analysis and data science through platforms like Kaggle and Udemy. She encouraged embarking on projects using publicly available or even personal data such as that from your own smartwatch! Sister Akshita provided valuable advice on job hunting. She shared how reading job descriptions helped her identify skills and competencies employers look for. She then used her initiative to complete online courses to strategically boost her application. It was clear that both speakers were passionate about their jobs and found them rewarding. They both presented a positive case for the growth, versatility, and intellectual challenge of Data Science and Cyber Security careers.
The series continues and is open to all Young Adults. It is particularly recommended for Group 4 Bal Vikas (SSE) students who may still be deciding on their career choices. The next career workshop on medicine/pharmacy is on Sunday 28th
August at 6pm (Zoom ID: 842 6252 6395/Passcode: 663090).
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Other online Young Adults initiatives include:
- 'Ask me anything' series – a forum where Young Adults can submit their burning spiritual questions to a learned Sai elder. The first one with Dr Mahesh Narayan takes place on Sunday 14th August at 6pm (Zoom ID: 842 6252 6395/Passcode: 663090)
- Cooking healthy vegetarian meals – a live online cooking workshop. The first one takes place on Sunday 21st August at 6pm (Zoom ID: 842 6252 6395/Passcode: 663090)
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Region 1 (London South East & South West)
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Upcoming events:
- Merton Sai Centre
- Friday 19th August, 7pm-midnight: Krishna Janmashtami celebrations at Sai Mandir, 131-133 Effra Road, London SW19 8PU
- Chessington Sai Group
- Friday 19th August, 8pm: Krishna Janmashtami celebrations at 95 Meadowview Road, Epsom KT19 9TT
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Region 2 (London North West and nearby Home Counties)
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Region 3 (London North, East & Central and nearby Home Counties)
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After nearly three years, with our beloved Bhagawan’s blessings, Chelmsford Sai Group held their Family Values Day event on 16th July. This was the first event conducted outside in the park, where the Bal Vikas children were joined by their parents and Gurus. The event started with three Aums and we played many fun-filled and teamwork-orientated games.
Some of the activities included:
talks on human values read by both children and parents
role plays and charades based on famous Ramayan and Mahabharat characters
a caterpillar game with balloons, with parents and children divided into Sathya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema teams
pass-the-parcel played with quiz questions where sweets were won by children for each round
Finally, bhajans, including 'Love Is My Form' beautifully sung and led by the youngest Bal Vikas child and the chorus sung by parents, Gurus and all the children. To end, delicious food items, such as ice cream, cakes and fruits, were served and enjoyed by all. It was lovely to see both children and parents during the event with lots of joy and laughter. We were delighted to have Dr Arul Srinivasan, Region 3 President, and Mrs Thirukeswary Sreeganeshan, Region 3 Co-ordinator joining the Family Values Day event conducted in Chelmsford.
Thank you Swami for the wonderful day. Our pranams to the Lotus Feet of our beloved Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
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On Sunday 7 August, the Region 3 Breakfast for the Homeless in the Strand, London, resumed after a long break. Despite there having been no prior announcement, and no other groups serving at that time, 42 people were served, demonstrating that there continues to be a great need.
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Region 5 (North England and Northern Ireland)
Upcoming events:
- Bradford Sai Centre
- Friday 19th August, 7.30pm-midnight: Krishna Janmashtami celebrations at 252 Legrams Lane, Bradford BD7 2HR
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Region 6 (South & South East England)
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Tunbridge Wells Sai Group held its very first Family Values Day on 9th July. The event started with Vedam chanting and bhajans, followed by various sports and games catering to both children and adults, including a game of cricket. Afterwards, there was prashadam and, of course, ice cream!
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Rochester Sai Centre held their Family Values Day on 10th July.
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Eastbourne Sai Group also held their Family Values Day at the Quaker Hall in Worthing, on 10th July, attended by students and their families and Gurus. Everyone partook in the value-based games (outdoor and indoor) and the delicious eats that were lovingly prepared.
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Farnborough Sai Centre had their Family Values Day too, this time on 24th July.
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Folkestone Sai Group warmly welcomed to their monthly bhajans Sister Yulia and her children, who recently arrived in the UK from Ukraine.
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Rochester Sai Centre held their very first face-to-face bhajans since the pandemic, at the home of one of their members. The event included a beautiful offering of Carnatic singing, followed by bhajans, aarti and prashadam.
Upcoming events:
- Farnborough Sai Centre
- Friday 19th August, 7pm-midnight: Krishna Janmashtami celebrations at Shiva Cultural and Community Centre, Queens Road, Aldershot GU11 3JE
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Region 7 (West & South West England and Wales)
No events announced at time of drafting - please contact Regional President via the link below for latest information
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Edinburgh Sai Centre held their regular end-of-month house bhajans on 30th July, attended by around a dozen people.
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