#SriSathyaSaiBirthday97

[priyastandon]

Santa with a difference!

When Ganesha played secret Santa

Who is Santa Claus? Santa is a kind, fat, jovial old man who brings gifts for children on Christmas. Little children are enamoured by the mascot dressed in red and white who comes riding on a sleigh. Parents pamper their children with gifts in the guise of Santa. When children grow up, they realise that Santa is not a real guy. The moment of realisation for a child may be heart breaking; the make-believe world may be shattered but soon there is a moment of awakening and gratitude towards those who have played Santa and been the harbingers of joy. And suddenly there is an eagerness to become the magical gift-giving Santa, because there is great joy in giving! Truly all grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins etc. who bring gifts for children are Santa in their own right.

The spirit of giving, is one of the most beautiful traits of our persona. We may give gifts, money, knowledge, love, care or even just time! Sharing happiness, increases it manifold; sharing grief decreases it aplenty. Now that the Christmas break is here, many of those who have empty nests, are waiting for the homecoming of their NRI off springs. These NRIs come home loaded with gifts for aged parents and siblings. They are verily our version of Santa Claus!

Last year our children along with cousins and friends, played their own version of the popular game ‘Secret Santa’; and renamed it ‘Secret Ganesha’! Well! Why not? In this age of globalisation, when Haldi wala doodh is going places as Turmeric Latte and the humble Golgappe have reached Five star hotel menus as ‘Puffed semolina crispies filled with spicy potatoes and chickpeas, filled with shots of tangy flavoured water’; why can’t we innovate and have a Secret Ganesha?

Well! I was impressed by the thoughtful gifts that popped out of Secret Ganesha’s bag of goodies. There were warm socks, mittens, caps, chocolates, cosy pyjamas etc. What followed was a quiz about the names of Ganesha, his parents, siblings, the reasons for his long nose and big tummy … And everyone had a riot! The evening was spent chatting about Ganesha and Santa! I smiled … Bhagwan Baba always said that it’s important to respect all religions while being firmly rooted in our own.

He said, “There is only one religion, the religion of Love; There is only one language, the language of the Heart; There is only one caste, the caste of Humanity; There is only one God, He is Omnipresent.”

One of the NRI children said that she’d never had so much fun before … Secret Ganesha was a superhit! Her wistful expression as she hugged her cousins, coupled with tears of longing in her mother’s eyes, reminded me of a couplet,

“Lahu ke thae jo rishte, unhe chod ke aa gaye; 

sukoon aankhon ke saamne tha, mooh mod ke aagaye. 

Khazaane lut rahe thae, maa baap ki chaanv mein; 

hum kaudiyon ki khaatir, ghar chod ke aagaye!”

Starting this December, besides the usual NRIs trotting homewards, India will be hosting the G-20. Nearly 200 meetings of ministers and officials of the G-20 nations at 50 plus venues shall bring opportunities to showcase the cultural milieu of the country. G-20 delegates shall be gifted local products, so local handicrafts and products will be extensively promoted. The theme of India’s G-20 Presidency is, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘One Earth · One Family · One Future’. And that resonates with what Baba says - one religion, one language, one caste … and all this because we belong to the family of one God!

Chandigarh too shall be spruced up to host delegates from over 40 countries for two meetings of G-20 in January and March 2023. The Sukhna Lake and Rock Garden shall host cultural events. The city beautiful shall also get its share from Secret Ganesha’s bag of goodies!

If you’d like to share your thoughts about this please leave a message in the comments section below. I would be happy to see it!

(This article is published in The Hindustan Times today, 18.12.2022.)

[priyastandon]

Divinity Blossoms in Your Heart

As a little girl, I remember sitting amongst a huge crowd at the Ridge in Shimla, in March 1973. A majestic persona called, ‘Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’, sat at the edge of the stage, as some devotees sang bhajans.

Later we went to Woodville where Baba was staying. It was on that day that I sold myself to Him, for the love He drenched me with. Strangely, I still remember that He seemed to be gliding on air; not walking on the grass. His intense eyes surfed the deepest recesses of my heart, up to the past lives of my soul. The experience was so intense and overwhelming that I could not control the tears streaming down my cheeks.

For days, ‘that form’ in the ochre robe, kept whirling and twirling in my mind’s eye. I could not get Him out of my mind. Singing His bhajans gave me a strange comfort of being connected to Him. It was in 1979 that we went to Puttaparthi, a tiny hamlet in Andhra Pradesh. We were lucky to get what was called an ‘interview’ where Baba met us in a small room, in the temple complex. The gush of emotions I felt while we were sitting in His overpowering, all-encompassing presence in that small room, is unexplainable in words. He showered the love of a thousand mothers on us. It was a home coming. He made us feel that we belonged to Him, and He belonged to us. Truly the most precious legacy my parents gave me is that they connected me with Bhagwan Baba.

I lost my physical parents a few years ago. But I have an eternal mother and father in Bhagwan Baba. He said that Sai or S-ayee means Sab ki Mata; and Baba means Pita. So, Sai Baba means, Sab ke Mata Pita. I go to Puttaparthi like it’s my Maika (my parental home). It’s a great comfort to belong to the Lord. He is the eternal keeper of this pilgrim’s progress. We as a family are indeed blessed to have experienced the divinity of Sai as He walked the Earth.

In the earlier years Baba would say, “My life is my message.” Towards of the end of His Earthly sojourn He started to tell His devotees, “Your life is my message.” That is a huge responsibility for us. He always addressed us as Prema Swarooplaras (Embodiments of love) or Divya Atmaswaroopas (Embodiments of Divinity). We strive to come up to the terms of endearment He used for us.

It is Bhagwan Baba’s birthday on 23rd of November. When devotees would wish Him, “Happy Birthday Baba!”, He would say, “My birthday is the date when divinity blossoms in your heart.”

Devotees from the world over still throng Puttaparthi on His birthday. No invites were/are ever sent out, but His love remains to be an open-ended and eternal invite for a home-coming! And it shall always be!

Dear friends, let me know your thoughts about this … would be happy to hear from you :)

(This piece has been published in The Tribune as the middle piece on 21.11.2022.)

[priyastandon]

The Transformation of the Human Heart

The purpose of life is to find your purpose and then live it. At some time or the other, every human wonders, “Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here?” Questions such like, were answered simply, by Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He explained that every human is an infinitesimal part of God. Each Atma (soul) is a part of the Supreme soul (Param Atma). Someone asked Baba, “Are you God?” He replied, “Yes! And so are you! The difference is that I know it, but you don’t.”

Baba said, “When the sun rises and shines, Not all the lotus buds in the lakes and ponds bloom, Only those that are ready, do. The rest have to bide their time, But all are destined to bloom, All have to fulfill that destiny. There is no need to despair.”

Just as our children came from us; we came from our parents; our parents came from our grandparents; who came from our great grandparents … and so on till the family tree traces back to the first man created by God. So, we are children of God! The realisation is overwhelming, empowering yet humbling at the same time.

Baba explained the purpose of creation as, Ekohumbahushyaam! (I am one; I will be many!) God separated Himself, from Himself; so that He could love Himself! The Lord created man in His own likeness, so that He could love him!

Isn’t this exactly why we procreate? We have children and we love them. When they learn to walk, we feel like a part of us is walking outside our body. And that is how God feels too. He made us, we are His children; we are a part of Him! When our children do something nice, we feel happy and proud. So too, knowing that I am the child of God, I yearn to make Him proud of me, so I strive to be the best version of myself.

Humans are the jewel in the crown of God’s creation. Humans are blessed with the faculties of knowledge and the power of discrimination between right and wrong. Baba explained that life is a journey from me to Him. He explained that devotion is not a uniform worn on festivals or special occasions. Devotion is a way of life that happens only with the transformation of the human heart.

One of the most powerful teachings of Baba that is very dear to my heart is, ‘If you do everything with the awareness that God is listening to me, watching me all the time; He is privy to my innermost thoughts, then you shall never do anything wrong!’ This is not just living in the awareness of God; this is living with God!

The Sri Sathya Sai University at Puttaparthi offers free education, from school to post-grad level. Our children studied there for two years each. Two State of the Art Hospitals, offer free treatment to the underprivileged, who Baba referred to as Daridra-Narayans. These hospitals do not have a billing section! Some of the best doctors of the world, offer seva here. The Sai Ganga water project supplies clean drinking water to a few hundred villages.

Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini is creating value based educational content for school children and sharing it on the PM’s DIKSHA portal free of cost. We have 1500+ professionals the world over, including myself, offering seva in this project. We have uploaded 7700+ assets on DIKSHA and have 40,000 assets on our website. All volunteers contributing are highly qualified professionals, educators, technologists, trainers and experts from different fields who feel blessed to serve. Baba inspired them to render free service; selflessly for the lesser fortunate.

As we gear up for Baba’s birthday on November 23, let’s appreciate His biggest miracle… the transformation of the human heart! I would love to know your thoughts about this. Do leave a message for me in the comments section below!

A slightly concise version of this article is published in Hindustan Times, HT Chandigarh on 20.11.2022.