What is Sathya Sai’s Sankal-pam? How is His Avatar-hood, Supra-Worldly Divinity as He calls it, so special for humanity today and for the morrow? When Bhagawan speaks about Himself… it becomes a rare treat of His Avataric Intention, that takes us to unknown realms of rare beauty, bright future ladden with Divine mystery… a compilation of His ‘own’ words about His ‘own’ Di-vine Self!!! This was My experience in previous Yugas also. The successors of Sisupala cannot

remain idle; but consider to what low level human wick-edness has descended. I do not care either for praise or blame, I only pity these peo-ple who, in order to scrape together a few praise from the poor resort to such venial tricks …I declare, “Even if all the fourteen worlds unite together, the work for which I have come will not suffer a bit; even if earth and heaven combine, My Truth can never be fully grasped.” Whenever there is a languish-ing of Dharma …I create Myself, for it is part of primal

resolution or Sankalpa to protect the spiritual structure of the Universe. I lay aside My formless essence and assume a name and a form suited to the purpose for which I come. Whenever evil threatens to vanquish good, I have to come and save it from decline. The Avatar of Krishna was a full incarnation, with all the sixteen facets of glory. In the Avatar of Rama, out of six-teen, the three brothers had one each and Parasurama, the contemporary, had one, until Rama met and overpowered Him and drew within Him-self the fraction of the Divine power that he had. Other incarnations were for ad hoc purposes, the suppression of evil represented by one evil person or group of persons.

continue on page 6…..

Message of the Lord

Message of the Lord - His Own Words

1

Sai Tips to Parents 2

Past Events 3

Game - Understanding Spirituality

5

Savanne Regional Coordinating Committee

5

Chinna Katha - Sacrifice:

Family’s Greatest Asset

6

Sathya Sai Speaks - Peace through sense and mind con-trol

7

Sathya Sai Speaks - Who is

an ideal Sai devotee ???

7

Devotee’s Corner 8

Inside this issue:

OUR VISION

To drive Devotees to live according to the teachings of Bhagwan Sri

Sathya Sai Baba

OUR MISSION

To SURRENDER and to develop FRIENDSHIP with SAI

OUR GOAL

To consolidate the SAI FAMILY by developing a SAI CULTURE

OUR OBJECTIVE

To create opportunities for the SPIRITUAL UPLIFTMENT of devotees

Volume 2, Issue 4 Echoes from Region1 Sai Newsletter

Savanne Regional Coordinating Committee (Region 1) December 2014/January 2015

OUR VISION

To drive Devotees to live according to the teachings of Bhagwan Sri

Sathya Sai Baba

OUR MISSION

To SURRENDER and to develop FRIENDSHIP with SAI

OUR GOAL

To consolidate the SAI FAMILY by developing a SAI CULTURE

OUR OBJECTIVE

To create opportunities for the SPIRITUAL UPLIFTMENT of devotees

OUR VISION

To drive Devotees to live ac-

cording to the teachings of

Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

OUR MISSION

To SURRENDER and to develop

FRIENDSHIP with SAI

OUR GOAL

To consolidate the SAI FAMILY

by developing a SAI CULTURE

OUR OBJECTIVE

To create opportunities for the

SPIRITUAL UPLIFTMENT of

devotees

The New Savanne Regional Coordinating Committee posing with the National Chairperson on 27 December, 2014 at Sri Sathya Sai Centre of Tyack

Continue from Volume, 2 Issue 3……..

LOVE AND LAW Parents have to combine Love and Law. It is not wrong to love children. But parents should learn how to love them. But parents should learn how to love them. The obligations of parents do not end with providing food, school-ing, and knowledge of worldly matters. The children should also

be provided with right values. They should be made to think that acquisition of wealth is not the be-all and end-all of life. While teaching with love, there must also be present the aspect of discipline. Discipline must be given to children with their physical, mental and spiritual abilities are developing, so that they can control and reform the mind, desires and senses. It is important for them to develop the ability to control the senses, mind and thoughts and direct them towards God. So, guide the students to learn that the end of wisdom is freedom. DISCIPLINE-IMPLEMENTATION The snake-gourd has to be made to grow straight by tying a stone to it from its tender stage. Likewise, the stone of disci-pline and devotion should be attached to a boy from his infan-cy. You must have seen gardens were snake-gourds are grown on raised pandals. When the gourd starts growing, the gardener hangs a small stone at its end, so that the pull may make it grow straight. When it grows larger, a heavier stone is used. So too, according to the age level, the discipline enforced must become harder and harder in order that the child may grow straight for-ward, steady and strong. The stone shall not be too heavy. Avoid extremes, at all times, in all cases. Disciplinary rules have to be well thought out and adapted to the age group they wish to correct. DISCIPLINE THE CHILD The children should be made to develop the habit of getting up early in the morning; by the time the cock crows they should get up. Then they should say their prayers, finish showering or tak-ing a bath, eat breakfast, do their homework and attend the school. They should be good at studies. The child should be trained to cultivate such healthy and sound habits. But unfortu-nately, the situation today is that the parents themselves do not get up before nine O'clock. They have late nights by attending obscene cinemas or wasting time at clubs. Some parents take pride in this because such a life is the concept of civilization. Parents must bear in mind that the years of youth are the most precious years in one's life, and they should not be wasted or misspent. To let the children watch television from 6 PM to 10

PM is to make them forget all they have learned at school and college. I insist on regulated food and play. Regulate the food habits of the children; food determines to a large extent health and intelligence, emotions and impulses. Set limits to the quantity and quality of food, as well as the number of times it is consumed and the timings. Recreation, has also to be moral and elevating and in the company of the righteous and God-Fearing. Many parents feed and fondle their chil-dren and then, in the name of freedom, leave them to their own friends and pleasures. They take them to films regard-less of the impressions they create on their tender minds. They entertain the friends of their children, but do not en-quire about their background or habits. Children should not enjoy the infliction of pain or be allowed to suffer physical pain and mental anguish. Teach children not to receive any-thing for nothing. Let them earn by hard work the things they seek. Indian traditions and Indian modes of living are now being fast cast away; crude manners of dress and speech and personal appearance are replacing them; children should be taught to look upon these with disgust, they should know them for what they are aberrations and vulgarities! How can you tolerate the obscene pictures, these posters publicizing pornographic films, this most objectionable type of dress, this brazen behaviour and appearance? Do everything possi-ble to root out this evil. Train the children and the young to remove this blot from the face of Mother India. Even tenth standard students are taking to drink and drugs. The parents are nor restraining them. DO NOT MISUSE MONEY Money has to be given its own place of importance. It has to be used in the best way possible. Because you do not make the best use of any given thing, you cannot understand what it is there for. You should, for instance use the power of intelligence to avoid the misuse of money. Parents are leading children to ruin when they give them all the money they deman, provide them the clothes they fancy, gift them cars or motorcycles to go to places and allow them the licence to indulge in every desire. Children should grow up with a sense of amity and brotherly understanding with each other. Children of rich parents normally have a tenden-cy of lavish and over-spending habits displaying ego and vanity. Their parents pamper them by giving them more money than what is really needed. The children of poor peo-ple, will feel an inferiority complex and may nourish feelings of jealousy against their rich class mates. Children must learn thrift and the proper use of money. When children learn how to use money with care and without waste, the future will be bright.

Regional Operations Strategic Framework in Action - Sai Tips to Parents

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to be continued/...

Be Good, Do Good, See Good, This is the way to God

Past Events: “ Akhanda Bhajan 2014”

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Global Akhanda Bhajan at Shiv Shakti Mandir, Grand Bois, Bois Cheri on 8 and 9 November,

2014. Experiencing a moment of ecstasy with soul-stirring bhajans, that was simple, blissful,

aesthetic, and truly reflective of the Divinity in our lives.

Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life

is love - enjoy it.

Continued from pg 1 ….. But, in this Kali age, the wicked have to be reformed and reconstructed through love and compassion. That is why this Avatar has come unarmed; It has come with the message of love. The only weapon which can transform the vile and the vicious is the Name of the Lord uttered with love. At the present time Mahashakti, Mayashakti and Yogashakti have come all together in one human form; your endeavour should be to draw near and earn grace therefrom. In truth, you cannot understand the nature of My reality either today or even after a thousand years of steady austerity or ar-dent inquiry, even if all mankind joins in that effort. But in a short time, you will become cognizant of the bliss showered by the Divine Principle, which has taken upon Itself this sacred Body and this sacred Name. Your good fortune which will provide you this chance is greater than what was available for anchorites, monks, sages, saints and even personalities embod-ying facets of Divine glory.

Since I move about with you, eat like you, and talk with you, you are deluded into the belief that this is but an in-stance of common humanity. Be warned against this mistake. I Am also deluding you by My singing with you, talking with you, and engaging Myself in activities with you. But any moment, My Divinity may be revealed to you; you have to be ready, prepared for that moment. Since Divinity is enveloped by humanness, you must endeavour to overcome the Maya (delusion) that hides it from your eyes. This is a human form, in which every

Divine entity, every Divine principle, that is to say, `all the names and forms ascribed by man to God, are mani-fest.’ (Sarvadaivatwa Swarupaanni Dharinchinatuvanti Maa-navaakaarame Ee Aakaaramu). Do not allow doubt to dis-tract you; if you only install, in the alter of your heart, steady faith in My Divinity, you can win a vision of My Reality. In-stead, if you swing like the pendulum of a clock, one mo-ment devotion, another moment disbelief, you can never succeed in comprehending the Truth and win that bliss. You are very fortunate that you have a chance to experience the bliss of the vision of the Sarvadaivatwa Swarupam (The Form which is all forms of all Gods) now, in this life itself. Let Me draw your attention to another fact. On previous occasions when God incarnated on Earth, the bliss of recog-nizing Him in the incarnation was vouchsafed only after the physical embodiment had left the world, in spite of plenty of patent evidences of His grace. And the loyalty and devotion they commanded from men arose through fear and awe, at

their superhuman powers and skills, or at their imperial and penal authority. But, ponder a mo-ment on this Sathya Sai manifestation; in this age of rampant materialism, aggressive disbelief and irreverence, what is it that brings to it the adora-tion of millions from all over the world? You will be convinced that the basic reason for this is the fact that this is the Supra-Worldly Divinity in human form. Again, how fortunate you are that you can wit-ness all the countries of the world paying hom-age to Bharat; you can hear adoration to Sathya Sai’s Name reverberating throughout the world, even while this body is existing…not at some future date but when It is with you, before you. And you can witness very soon the restoration of Sanathana Dharma to its genuine and natural status, the Dharma laid down in the Vedas for the good of all the peoples of the World. This Is the Sai Sankalpam.

Message of the Lord - His Own Words

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Volume 2, I ssue 4

Love as Thought is Truth; Love as Action is Right Conduct; Love as Understanding is Peace; Love as Feeling is Non-

violence

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Volume 2, I ssue 4

Start the Day with Love; Spend the Day with Love; Fill the Day with Love; End the Day with Love; This is the way to God.

Game - Understanding Spirituality

1 Just as you remove the water from a glass to fill it with milk

a Sadhana is required only till we get Supreme Jnana

2 Just as a dirty hundred rupee note will be accepted and replaced by a fresh note only by the Reserve Bank

b Ignore the bad and see only the good in others

3 Just as a letter that is sent by registered post is sure to reach the addressee

c A human heart, a vessel filled with love, gifted by God, has to be returned intact to Him

4 Just as a flame is required only till the food is cooked

d Even if you are doing several things in your life you should always remember God

5 Just as a seed sown only in ground sprouts and not the one in a tin

e Omkaar is the only primal sound out of which all the rest of the sounds originate

6 Just as a hired vessel has to be returned in perfect condition, cleaned and without dam-age

f You will rise up in life with good company or fall down in life with bad company

7 Just as only 26 letters are used to form all words and sentences of English language

g You would be loved by all if you speak softly and sweetly

8 Just as you remove the outer rind of an or-ange and eat only the fruit

h A problem surrendered to God is surely taken care of

9 Just as a cuckoo is loved by all for its pleas-ing sound

i A plant of awareness grows in the field of spirituality and not in a tin of worldly pleasures

10

Just as a dancer with pots on her head con-centrates on the pots always to keep her bal-ance while dancing

j Remove bad qualities from your mind to fill it with good qualities

11 Just as dust goes up in the company of air and goes down in the company of water

k Only God will accept your dirty mind and replace it with a pure mind

Savanne (Region 1) Coordinating Committee 2015/2016

Chairman: Br. LOCHUN, Ajay

Vice-Chairman: Sis. APPADU, Shyama

Secretary: Br. KUPPAN, Sandeep

Treasurer: Sis. DOOLUB, Reena

Devotion Coordinator: Br. LOCHUN, Ashwin

Education Coordinator: Sis. GHOORA, Sandhya

Service Coordinator: Br. COOBLALL, Sunil

Vice-Service Coordinator: Br. INDOO, Rajesh

Ladies Coordinator: Sis. PEERUN, Lalita

Vice-Ladies Coordinator: Sis. APPANAH, Vegan

Young Adult Representative: Br. SYDAMAH, Gavin

Vice-Young Adult Representative: Sis. RAMNATH, Devina

SSEHV Coordinator: Sis. APPADU, Anusha

Bhajan Coordinator: Sis. BEEHARY, Babita

PRO: Br. DOOLUB, Kavi

Facilitator for Rudram: Br. GHOORA, Pravine

Facilitator for Meditation: Br. AWOTAR, Ashwan

Chairperson SSC of Tyack: Sis. DOOLUB, Reena

Chairperson SSC of Surinam: Br. KUPPAN, Sandeep

Chairperson SSC of Che-Grenier: Br. MUNGRA, Telvish

Chairperson SSG of Souillac: Br. GOOLAUP, Karan

Chairperson SSG of Bois Cheri: Br. LOCHUN, Ashwin

Chairperson SSG of N/France: Sis. MATHOORA, Salonee

Chairperson SSG of Bois Cheri: Br. SIMATHREE, Souren

Chinna Katha - Sacrifice: A Family’s Greatest Asset

At one time there was a severe famine in Bihar. A family consisting of father, mother and two children started from Bihar to find livelihood elsewhere. The father of the family being responsible to feed this family underwent many diffi-culties and hardships. He even starved himself on some

occasions and be-cause of this fre-quent starvation, he died after some-time. The mother having lost her husband, suffered from loneliness. She had to bear the burden of keeping the family alive in this wide world. She went begging from house to house for food and if she got

some and if it was not enough, she starved. But she let her children eat. In course of time, she became so debilitated and frail that she found it difficult to walk from house to house. Begging from door to door was very hard for her. Her sons felt very sorry for her. The boy of t w e l v e looked at the pitiable sight of his mother and sitting on her lap said: “Oh mother, please take rest for some time. I shall beg and bring food for you.”

As she listened to the words of her son, her heart melted. She felt very miserable that she had to send her son to beg for food. No mother wants her child to become a beggar. But the boy insisted and the mother very reluctantly consented. From that day the little boy was begging for food and giving it to his mother and the little brother and he himself would starve. After some days, he felt he could not walk and go out

f o r b e g -g ing . H e w e n t to a house a n d found t h e m a s -ter of t h e

house reading a newspaper sitting on an easy chair. In a feeble voice, he asked the master for food. The master replied that it would be useless to give him alms and said that he would give him food on a leaf. The boy, out of weakness, fainted. The master of the house lifted the boy and put him on his lap. The boy sat mumbling some words. To be able to understand what he was saying, the master put his ear close to the mouth of the boy. The boy was inaudibly whispering: “The food that you wish to give, please give it first to my mother.” After uttering those last words, he passed away.

We do not now find this kind of love, this intimate love existing between the members of a f a m i l y . Here we find that the head

of the family starved himself to death for the sake of his family. The mother starved herself for the sake of her children and the son starved and killed him-self to save his mother from begging. Look at this example of affection that bound them together as father, mother and child. They look like the Holy Trinity. Therefore, each member of the family must discharge his own responsibility.

BABA

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I have come to light the lamp of love in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added luster.

Sathya Sai Speaks - Peace through sense and mind control

You can experience Bliss only when you have learnt to control the Mind. To control the Mind, you have to engage in good deeds. As you go on performing good deeds, you will develop good thoughts and feelings; and when you have good thoughts, you will acquire true understanding of the Real. Sanctify the time given to you with good thoughts and good actions. To achieve this, you have to cultivate the company of the good, and all of this, in due course, would lead to liberation. Filling your mind with thoughts of God and engaging in good actions is true Sadhana. People claim to spend hours in meditation. But of what use is it if there is no concentration of the Mind? Far better it is to ren-der social service or participate in Bhajans, and through such means subject the Mind to some discipline. This also is how work gets transformed into worship. When you dedicate all your thoughts and actions to God, your actions automatically get purified. You can experience God through the performance of your du-ties and proper actions. The Bhagavad Gita says that the Kshet-ra (namely the body) and the Kshetrajna (namely the Atma) together constitute the human personality. Similarly, the scrip-tures refer to the human body as the temple and the Indwelling Spirit as the God residing in that temple. Even a mere intellectu-al understanding of this fact is enough to make you happy. But you would be happier still, when you put this understanding into practice in your daily life. You should try to seek continu-ous satisfaction and fulfilment by basing even your mundane activities on spiritual values. Whatever be the activity with which you are preoccupied in Society, you must be steadfast in holding on to the spiritual ideal. This alone will bestow lasting peace. The sense organs should be sanctified by offering all the actions performed through them to God. You can surely achieve that sanctified state, provided you have strong determination. Unfor-tunately, man does not evince such a firm determination and tenacity of purpose in respect of spiritual matters, as he does for the sake of mundane things. Man is prepared to make any amount of effort to undertake a journey of millions of miles into outer space, but he hardly ever endeavours to go even an inch within, towards his Inner Self. What is the use of intelli-gence and worldly acquisitions when they cannot give Atma Shanthi (the untrammelled peace of the Atma or the Spirit)? God alone can confer such enduring peace on man. As far as possible, avoid causing harm or pain to others. As you sow, so you reap. Whenever you feel disturbed by a sense of anger, envy, pride, jealousy and the like, become alert and resort to the contemplation of the Lord .

Who is an ideal Sai devotee and what are the attributes a Sai devotee suppose to have? ..while many of us aspire to tag our names with the title ‘Sai devotee’, it is worth peeping into Bha-gawan’s ‘own’ words, describing and defining an ‘ideal one’, via a letter to a ‘devotee’, as published in Sanathana Sarathi, Octo-

ber 1964. Moksha is the final goal of man; that is why he is en-dowed with Vijnana, the special capacity to analyse and synthesise experience. The Upanishads declare “Jnanadevathu Kaivalyam”. (Kaivalyam-through Jnana only) For those who yearn to be saved, Sai Namam is the San-jeevini, the potent drug. Those who have the Name ever on their tongues must be vigilant so that egoism and the sense of possession (Aham-karam and Mama-karam) do not rob them of the fruits of Sadhana. Really, man is Jnanaswarupa. Since the beginning of Time, man has deluded himself into be-lieving that the world is true and eternal. He is himself basically Divine; but, through the influence of the fundamental delusion, he deceives himself into the belief that he is the doer, the suffer-er, the beneficiary, the enjoyer etc. So, he is born again and again as a result of this attachment and is subjected to the buffetings of duality. He is drifting about in the sea of Samsara. Sathyaanveshana, the search for Truth ought to be the Nitya Kritya of Sai bhaktas, their daily activity. Prema ought to become their Swabhava, their very Nature. Bhava-shuddhi is more important for them than Bahya-adambara, external finery. Be convinced that the Viswa is the Visweswaraswarupa Itself; look upon every object as suffused with Divinity, as Divine Itself. For, that is the Truth. Again, be engaged in acts that endow every moment of your life with holiness and the fragrance of sanctity. That is the true worship of “He Who Is Time Itself”, the Kala-Swarupa. It is not through their words or their songs that persons are judged as Sai bhaktas! Deeds must be good and correct; that makes the Sai bhakta. That gives joy to Sai. I like the purity of the feelings and emotions. Pravartana or Practice must be Pavitra, Pure. Do Right and Speak Right… Do not do wrong and speak of Right Conduct! If you do not act the advice you give others, you are insulting the Name of Sai, that you have taken. Give up show, finery, and exhibitionism. Let your eyes be as soft and cool as moonlight, heart as soft as butter, words as sweet as honey. These should be the real characteristics of the Sai bhakta. Sai’s Reality is Samartha Prema; Sai Drishti is Samanjasa Prema. Those who are saturated with these two types of Prema are the true Sai bhaktas. Instead, if you cavil at others, if you hold forth your own pride, and if you struggle to gather riches, you become exiles from the Lord, and stray away from the spiritual path. The Lord does not care for objects; He cares for the subjective wealth of Prema. Sai bhaktas must have full conviction of this. Remember, the best way to promote your own peace and the peace of the world is to live in Truth and Love, through every act of your life. That will be Ramarajya indeed. You must have the vision appropriate to the Universal Love char-acteristic of True Bhakti. Have the Prema-maya-netra; then, the world will be for you, truly Brahmamaya. Serve Sai—not with vratas, processions, puja, ritual, abhisheka and the paraphernalia of Mantras but, with Sat-Karma, Sat-Achara, and Sat-Vakya…good deeds, good conduct and good words. Serve Sai thus: Sai loves these most; that is the Truth of Sai.

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Sathya Sai Speaks - Who is an Ideal Sai Devotee ???

Follow the Master; Face the devil; Fight to the end; Finish the goal.

For every being, life is a series of acceptances and rejections, of joy and grief, benefits and losses. Take everything that happens to you as gifts of grace. Of course, you must act with all the skill and de-votion you are capable of. And you must do your duties with as much sincerity as you worship God. Then, leave the result to the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-merciful Lord. Why do you hold your-self responsible for the results? He prompted it, He got it done through you; He will give whatever result He feels He must! Can you store gold in a gold box? No! You store it in a steel or iron safe almirah, isn’t it? So too, understand that the gift of joy comes packed in the rind of grief. Do not pray to God to give you only joy; that will be foolish. Pray for the fortitude to realise that grief and joy are but two sides of the same coin.

Divine Discourse, Mar 27, 1971.

c/o Ajay Lochun

Kader Street

Bois Cheri

Savanne

http//:www.saibabamauritius.org

SWAMI, you are omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent You protect us no matter where we are Whether we travel by bus or by car Whether we are walking or playing Whether we are at school or at home Whatever we think and do , you know We say, therefore, that you are also omnibenevolent SWAMI, we love you We know the best way to love you is to love all, serve all We are behaving good and trying our best in life As Sai you says that hands that serve are Holier, than the lips that pray We are aware that Seva is a tribute to selfless activity, to purify ourselves Give us the privilege and chance to serve and love SWAMI, a heart without love is not a place for you Your heart Swami is a pot of nectar It is a beautiful island of gems and diamond where the sand is golden bright It cultivates trees with ripe and sweet fruits We know Swami that we are in your heart You know Swami that you are in our heart SWAMI, you show mankind the right path You help all of us to cross the vast ocean of life You are aware of the divinity in us You take all our suffering away We therefore surrender ourselves to you, Swami And, we are grateful Swami to have you in our life Swami By Akshana and Manasi Lochun

Bal Vikas Students

Sathya Sai Group of Bois Cheri

"My place is among you, with you and wherever work lies.

That is why I moved among you and stood at your back.

This is just to show you that, even in your own places, when

you do bhajan or some other type of adoration, like serving

children or the sick or the poor, I do not sit on a special seat,

apart and distant. Do not believe I am on the pedestal that

you offer Me; I am part of you, a partner and partaker in all

your efforts, inspiring and instructing, when you ask or need

inspiration and instruction".

Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 10, Ch 1

Phone: 5771-2875

E-mail: saisavanne@gmail.com

Sai at your Doorstep

Savanne Regional Coordinating Committee (Region 1)

Devotee’s Corner

Answer to Game - Understanding Spirituality

1. j 2. k 3. h 4. a 5. i 6. c 7. e

8. b 9. g 10. d 11. f