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Important message to devotees
Updated Thursday, September 1, 2011 - 10:00 Hrs. IST
Today is auspicious Vinayaka Chaturthi, a festival that received its fullest dues over the years in the most inspiring physical presence of Beloved Bhagawan. Keeping those golden lively memories in the backdrop, Prasanthi woke up this morning, tuned to the Lord of remover of all obstacles, readying herself to celebrate the auspicious day. As usual it was a students' affair in the morning, with the Institute students offering a string of hymns attributed to Lord Ganesha. Singing special hymns propitiating the Lord, Who is hailed as 'Prathama Vandana', the students regaled the audience with devotional music for the next forty-five minutes. The numbers included Ganashtakam, Ganapathi
Strothram, Ganesha Pancharatham and a couple of Carnatic pieces. The musical offering had interludes of commentary in English and Hindi, alternatively, propitiating the Lord of The Day. Gajavadana Karunasadana Sri Shankara Bala Lambodhara Sundara in Ragam Sri Ranjani Talam: Adi Papanasam Sivan Pallavi was sung with elan and expertise, well appreciated by loud applause by one and all in the morning assembly. After the 45 minutes programme, students from Prasanthi Nilayam and Anantapur Campus sang bhajans for the next fifteen minutes before Mangala Arathi was offered at 0930 hrs. This is the day Ganesha fills over in Prasanthi, with various Institutions installing separate Ganeshas in their premises, worshipping the deity for the next three days, before taking Him out for immersion on the third afternoon. It is going to be Ganesha all over in Prasanthi Nilayam for the next few days. As Bhagawan would often repeat in His Divine Discourses, Ganesha is the Lord without any OverLord and Prasanthi experiences the Mighty Lord's 'presence' with the beginning of the auspicious festivity, that is celebrated with great religious fervour, pomp and show in many other parts of India as well. 
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Updated at 1249 on Sep 01, 2011
"Eid-ul-Fitr", or the festival of charity was celebrated in Prasanthi Nilayam today. The students of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning perform educational and inspiring programme on this day every year and this year was no different. After the Vedic invocation, the programme started at 1700 hrs with Namaz, a prayer for the well being of one and all. After the Namaz, the students presented a skit with a story woven around the five pillars of Islam namely - Shahada (Faith),. Salat (Prayer), Sawm (Fasting), Zakāt(Charity) and Hajj (Pilgrimage).
Watch Video:
http://vimeo.com/28408225
The importance of prayer was described with a beautiful song and dance. Fasting and charity with a story of sacrifice where a poor Muslim feeds a destitute boy with the food he was taking for his family to break their Ramadan fast., Faith and Pilgrimage was discussed by the students and their inner significance sought. Pilgrimage, they said, is not merely to be undertaken to a distant land but also toward the inward path. For the true abode of peace is within.
The students then enacted an incident from their hostel life when two students join an Islamic brother in the Ramadan fast. Learning about this a fourth student, inspired by their sacrifice and resolve, would wake up very early and prepared a feast for them in the morning before sunrise. The students concluded the programme stating that Islam is not a religion, but a state of mind, a state where the mind is surrendered to Allah, the Almighty.
The programme was interspersed with melodious music and energetic dance performances based on the teachings of Bhagawan and the Holy Quran. After the programme, the students sang Bhajans for 10 minutes after which Arati was offered to Bhagawan. Prasadam was distributed to the assembly.
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|  | It may seem odd that a person from materialistic America should speak on a spiritual topic, especially on a day of lofty spiritual significance. It may seem even more odd that the words are addressed to the people of India.
But, I ask you—which person can speak of life-giving water with greater appreciation —the one, who lives in a green, lush valley of cool rivers and broad lakes, or the man suffering from thirst in a dry burning desert? I would liken the people of India to the residents of the green valley and this traveller from America to the man, perishing from thirst.
India is the greatest land. It is truly great because of its intrinsic nature. For example, the intrinsic nature of the human body is impermanence and suffering. The moment to moment birth, change, death of everybody - cell is accompanied by burning and decomposition, which fact is quite possible for everyone to experience directly. That is the intrinsic nature of the body, regardless of how it might be covered with jewels and the tinsels of pleasure.
The intrinsic nature of the diamond is hardness, purity and the capacity to reflect light in a most brilliant fashion. Regardless of how the diamond may be covered and disguised, its intrinsic nature of purity and beauty remain untouched.
India is like that. Regardless of passing phases of social unrest, carelessness and worldly ambition, India remains the land of the spiritual heart, whose depth is unfathomable. Regardless of how individuals may reject and ignore the great heritage that is theirs as Indians, the intrinsic quality of India remains untouched, waiting to shine forth, to guide the entire world with the light of love and God-Realization.
Only India, through ages past, has been able to provide suitable land for the birth of glorious Avatars, such as Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, and Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. It is only in India that Buddha can be born to attain Nirvana.
It is then proper for a foreigner to speak in India to Indians about the spiritual heart of India, for that heart is the heart of the world. It is my spiritual heart, as an American, for were it not there, surely life would be a living death of ashes and despair.
To an ever growing number of Americans and to foreign people in other lands as well, the spiritual heart, not only of India, but of life itself is now visible to human eyes, here, in this great land of India.
To me, and to an uncounted multitude of others, the very Godhead has limited itself to human form in the supremely compassionate Avatar of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. What an amazing and wonderful event has come to happen! This slender Body walking so gracefully amongst us, the charming personality exhibiting all the qualities of a perfect man, the qualities manifest God omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, with boundless power to create, maintain and destroy! How beyond the power words to describe!
How incredibly fortunate, to be born during the life-span of this Avatar! Regardless of how faulty each one of us surely is, some place in the past, we have earned this supremely fortunate birth.
Now that this good fortune is realised and we are here, how terrible the failure if we do not put aside all trivial matters and turn to God with total heart and mind!
We are married, with families and duties in the world, but our joys triumphs and failures come and go like dreams, and death is surely at the end. Now that the Lord is here pointing out the real, the deathless state to each of us with His love, His grace and His compassion, what folly to waste even a moment in actions that turn us away from Light, the Light of The Lord! Every moment is alive and vibrant with spiritual significance, now that the Lord is amongst us!!!
Let us open wide the doors of our hearts and minds and surrender our petty egos to Him.
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