“In the Sunshine of Sai’s Love” was the banner that greeted over 400 participants who gathered at the Vedic Cultural Center on April 28, 2007. The Vancouver Sai Centre hosted a One-Day Mini Retreat at this venue in British Columbia, Canada.
This programme included talks by the alumni of Sri Sathya Sai University. The morning session began at 10:00 am with soul stirring bhajans by a few alumni who were lead singers during their years at Prasanthi Nilayam. Thereafter, the Master of Ceremonies, a former student and lecturer at Swami’s Institute, began the inaugural session by introducing the theme ‘In the Sunshine of Sai’s Love’ to the gathering. He elaborated on how the warmth of Swami’s Love was just like the sunshine that equally fills every devotee’s life.
Other speakers included alumni from Boston, Massachusetts, Columbus, Ohio, Tampa, Florida, Nashville, Tennessee, Toronto, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. They rounded off the afternoon session of the talks by sharing more of their experiences with Swami as students.
The speakers shared wonderful anecdotes about the love they received from Swami and the lessons they learnt from every interaction with Swami. The talks were so inspiring and soul stirring that five hours passed like a wink.
The final session of the retreat was a musical presentation of devotional songs and instrumental pieces by these guest speakers, each of whom is an accomplished musician, who has had the privilege to perform before Swami during his academic tenure at the Institute, The musical offering began at 5 p.m. and lasted two and a half hours during which 20 songs and instrumental pieces were played, concluding the retreat on a spiritual high. A former student from Vancouver joined the guest speakers in the musical presentation singing two English songs composed by him.
Elsewhere in the US, the members of the Metro Chicago Center led by our alumni have been involved in many service activities. They serve seven meals a week in three shelters which include a breakfast and dinner service. Two times a year, they donate blankets and basic toiletries to the Homeless shelters in Chicago. They create a gift basket consisting of cold cream, lip balm, woolen cap, a pair of socks; woolen gloves and give these hampers of love to the homeless people at the beginning of each winter.
In the UK, as part of the sadhana in preparation for the World Youth Conference at Prasanthi Nilayam, the Sai Youth organized an all-night Akhanda Bhajan on 12th May 2007 at Leicester. Many of our brothers took part in this activity as alumni were given the slot to lead bhajans during this event.
In London, an alumnus addressed the youth during the monthly sadhana camp on 9th June 2007. Our brother reminded the youth of the saying, “We are not one, but three-the one we think we are, the one that others think we are and one we really are”. He said that while in our mundane daily activities, perhaps what others think we are, is important. But for Bhagawan, who we really are is most important. “The aim of going to Swami and participating in Sadhana camps is to cleanse ourselves so that we can bring about unity between who we think we are, who others think we are and who we really are.
During the first world youth conference, Swami had clearly told the youth not to feel shy about informing their friends/family/acquaintances that they were visiting Prasanthi Nilayam and not just Bangalore. Similarly, the youth in UK should feel proud to announce they were visiting Prasanthi Nilayam when questioned by peers about their journey to India” he said.
Quoting incidents from his long stay at the Divine lotus feet, our brother brought home the point that Swami looks to quality not quantity. Finally, he concluded saying that just being in Swami’s presence was an act of supreme Grace bestowed.
Alumni in the UK also organized a Rudra Abhishekam at Leicester on the auspicious day of 7th July 2007 for “Loka Kalyan” or Universal Well-Being – particularly since that day also happened to be the second anniversary of the tragic London bombings in 2005.
Twelve elderly couples also performed the Rudra Abhishekam. Eleven alumni and youth chanted the Rudram and Chamakam 11 times. This entire programme was conceived and executed by alumni in the UK. Around a thousand devotees who attended it felt transported to Prasanthi Nilayam.
We have often heard Swami tell us that quality is more important than quantity, A handful of our alumni back home in India from Vizag have shown by example how true this is. This united group often alumni strove to offer seva to society by sustained efforts in the nearby local areas.
Early in 2007, refreshed from the beautiful time spent at Bhagawan’s Lotus Feet during New Year, they organised a Spiritual Meet in Vizag. They followed this up by conducting cataract surgeries and blanket distribution to the poor at Vepada, Kotha Valsa, Jatyada Valsa Baali, Balenda and Turakapalli villages. As part of their seva initiatives, they motivated the elderly to donate their eyes posthumously to eye banks. They also conducted a veterinary camp with a focus on vaccination for farm animals reared by the farmers in nearby villages.
Having set the pace with these activities the group followed through with a more organised camp focusing on identification and follow up surgery for a few thousand poor patients requiring assistance in orthopedic and cataract surgery. Growing interest from the local population in their efforts have taken them to extent further support to the needs of government run schools, such as providing notebooks and stationery. They have also started visits to old age homes.
Meanwhile, in the bustling metropolis of Mumbai, alumni traveled distances afar to ensure that medical aid reached the needy in the vicinity of Saphale and Vaitarna areas of Maharashtra. Recently alumni living in Thane traveled more than 45 km to a rarely visited Adivasi village to render medical aid to the people there. More than 1,000 beneficiaries attended the camp. During this camp it was found that most of the villagers needed ophthalmology assistance. Thus, as a follow up, an ophthalmology medical camp was organized. Fifteen villages benefited from this single camp. Over two hundred patients were treated, cataract operations were successfully performed, and free spectacles and medicines were distributed.
Weekends found our alumni rising early to go to the site of a school located in a remote corner of Malad, one of the suburbs of Mumbai. This school was found to be in a dilapidated condition for some years now. Alumni partnered with the local youth to do unskilled tasks of digging, leveling, and painting the school that educates around 700 children. The face of the school has changed significantly. Alumni also assisted in ensuring natural light and proper ventilation to the rooms so as to reduce the operational expenses.
Keeping the tradition of sahanavavathu – few of our boys have been taking Vedam classes for the youth and Bala Vikas Children. They thus get another opportunity to instill the Vedic way of life. They crisscross the length and breadth of the city sharing the knowledge of the Vedas that they had assimilated during their stay at Swami’s Lotus Feet. There are around 12 batches of Vedam classes that are being conducted now.
In the central heartland of India, a public bus stand at Indore was targeted for a cleaning drive. All the young members rolled their sleeves, held brooms in their hands and conducted a massive cleaning operation at the Sarvate Bus Stand which lasted between 9 & 11.30 p.m. every night. The positive effect was that the manager of the bus stand along with his staff got motivated and joined the alumni in the cleaning operations.
At village Sanavada, a small water project was set up making drinking water available near every street of the village. The villagers are being motivated to build cheap toilets outside their houses. This idea has caught on very well and the village now has about 30 to 40 toilets now and has been declared “NIRMALGRAM” by the government of India and recently the Sarpanch of the village was felicitated by the president of India.
