Om Sairam dearest Sai Family,

greetings on the holy occassion of Christmas. Christmas in Parthi is very special and always unique. Millions would have attended this tiny hamlet for the christmas celebrations over the years and there are others who are still craving to visit this holy land especially for christmas....

This Christmas will be remembered for generations for the beautiful decoration which was very very special for this year. This year, which also commemorates Swami's 85th birthday, South Africa the most happening country in Sai activities was blessed to decorate Prasanthi Nilayam. It is a historic moment in South Africa as they are celebrating 150 years of arrival of Indian indentured labours. They also made history in Prasanthi Nilayam by getting this great chance of decorating heaven on earth Puttaparthi.

The deco team arrived on the 10th of december with tons of decoration things from South Africa. It was 6 months of tireless effort to organise these things says brother Deven Naidoo, who along with Uncle Soobri, Balan, Jeeva,Prem Naidoo and others worked day in and day out to make this christmas memorable. Sure enough, on the 22nd Swami did ask: who did the decoration? (as if Swami doesn't know) and the reply came South Africa and Swami replied: it is very nice.

These few words were enough for the devotees to dip in the ocean of bliss forgetting all the troubles undergone these 6 months.

It was a memorable christmas even to me. On the 14th december brother Deven asked me to do some more shopping for the chirstmas as they were short of some decoration stuff. I went to bangalore and for the first time, I was doing the Chirstmas shopping. at about 6pm, when I was about to leave for Parthi,brother Deven calls me and asks me to see if I can get a candle. I asked him how big should the candle be and he said atleast 4 feet tall. I immediately rushed to a candle shop in Bangalore and asked the shopkeeper for a 4 feet candle. He looked at me strangely and said, you will only get those if you order in advance and it will take a minimum of one week to make it. I was praying to Swami and pleaded the shopkeeper to get one. He made a phone call to one candle factory and finally he traced one place where there was one 3 feet square candle and was red in colour.I called brother Deven and he said he prefers a white candle round in shape.I asked the shopkeeper to bring it any way and when he brought the candle, it turned out to be a white one, round in shape, exactly the same size and shape that was needed.It was a bit of emotional one, when Swami was lighting the candle this evening..

This evening Swami came at 6pm. The Sai Kulwanth hall was beautifully decorated and all the overseas devotees were given special seating in the front area.As the bhajans were going on, Swami drove into Sai Kulwanth hall and made a full round. Swami alighted just before the interview room and came upto the dais. He threw some Vibhuthi packets to devotees on the dais and listened to bhajans for about 20 minutes and then signalled for the international choir to start. This year's choir had 750 devotees about 100 from Germany, 150 from Russia,145 from South Africa, 26 from Australia and about 50 countries participated in this year's christmas.

Swami enjoyed the whole session and at 7:15 Swami for the first time, came down the dais and blessed every one with a group photo which was un expected but every one were very very happy.

Arathi was given to Swami at 7:20 thus ending a beautiful day filled with Sai Love. Tomorrow, the 25th of december, would be yet another beautiful day. Swami has blessed the South africans again to sing the carols....

Wishing all a Merry Christmas,

with pranams at the Lotus feet of our beloved Lord,

Sai Devotee

No Room in the Country: A Christmas Story for you by Susan Caffery

Persio senior and Sara followed their son as he jumped down from the truck. This time they had another little boy with them who looked about little Persio's age.

“Who's your new friend, Persio?'”asked his granny Bethia, who stood waiting for them.

“His name is Hesus, Granma.”

“Hesus?”

“Yeah. Mom said that's like the name Jesus.”

Sara smiled. “Tell Granma about how we found Hesus, Persio.”

“Well see,” explained little Persio, “ last week just before Christmas, Daddy got a 911 call from St. Jude's church. It was from the Parrish priest with a lost boy. Dad rushed over in his truck and found Hesus. The Priest said that he found him sleeping on the last pew trying to keep warm under an old burlap bag which had held Christmas oranges.”

“What are you doing here, my son?” the priest asked.

“Gosh! I'm sorry, Padre, but I got so cold last night sleeping in the stair well of the church that I guess I kind of sneaked inside. I'll go now”

“How old are you, son?” “I'm 6, Padre.”

The old priest took the skinny little kid in his arms. “Don't worry, my son, you can sleep in the the Rectory tonight. That's when he called my Dad at 911.”

“What is your name?” asked the priest.

“Hesus”

“Jesus?”

“Si, Padre”

“And where is your mother?”

'They took her away from her job last week, Padre, said she wasn't a citizen and couldn't stay here for Christmas. They said there was no room in this country for illegals.”

“How have you been eating?”

“Salvation Army feeds me.”

“You're by yourself?”

“Si si, Padre, since they took my mother away.”

“I've got a blanket in the Rectory and maybe something to eat in the refrigerator.”

“A little later Dad drove up in the fire truck. When he heard the story he just brought Hesus home to stay at our house. We're licensed for lost kids. Now we're friends, right Hesus?”

“Hi Jesus.” said Granma Bethia. “Looks like you've got some friends now, right?”

“Yes but only until my Mom can come back to get me.”

“You don't want to go back to Mexico with your Mom?'

“Nah, I've never been to Mexico besides I really love school here. Someday I'd like to study for the Priesthood and be like that nice old Priest. When I was cold, he gave me a blanket and when I was hungry he gave me pizza.”

And the two boys ran off to play with the fire truck Persio got for Christmas.”

Dear Sai Baba Devotees holding US passports,

OM SAI RAM

This communique, sent during the joyous Holy Christmas season, contains updated tips for overseas devotees visiting Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and visa information kindly compiled by the US Consulate General's, American Citizen Services Unit, in Hyderabad as a result of Puttaparthi devotees' questions.

Sai Baba protects us like the eyelids, the eyes.

He also tells us 'ABC", "Always Be Careful", which He explains means to use common sense.

May the following positive pointers, passed on from visiting devotees, prove useful ABC's.

---Devotees have noted that it is good to carry a photocopy of our passports and visas, and the phone number of our nearest Consulate in India, since police have the right to see our ID at any time, and Ashram authorities may also need to identify us properly.

---Sai Baba devotees have suggested that it is good to count the number of days allotted to visas carefully, check to see if the visa has multiple or single entry, and notice if registration with the Foreign Registration Officer (FRO) is required.

---Use of two passports (dual nationality) can cause problems.

---For current Indian Visa Regulations, devotees may contact their nearest Indian Embassy/Consulate.

---Devotees staying in Puttaparthi have found, as posted at the entry to the Ashram, that they are required to fill out Police Form 'C' within 24 hours of arrival, and Police Form 'F" when leaving.

* * * * *

If you plan to travel in India, or will be having a baby in India, you may wish to check the websites listed below for further information.

May you all have a Holy Christmas and New Year with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba joyfully, reverentially, and gratefully in your hearts,

Margot Adams Hoagland de Labar

Volunteer Warden, Puttaparthi Area

American Citizen Services, United States Consulate General of Hyderabad

U.S. Consulate General, Hyderabad

American Citizens Services Unit

Paigah Palace, 1-8-323 Chiran Fort Lane, Begumpet,

Secunderabad 500 003, Andhra Pradesh, India

Telephone: 91-40-4033-8300; Facsimile: 91-40-4033-8306

E-mail: HYDACS@state.gov website: http://hyderabad.usconsulate.gov

Dear American Citizen:

At the American Town Hall Meeting held at the Ista Hotel in September, many attendees expressed confusion about Indian visa regulations, especially regarding registration with the Foreigners Registration Office. As a result, the Consular Chief, ACS Chief, and locally engaged staff visited Hyderabad’s new Foreigners Regional Registration Officer. Below are some of our Questions & Answers:

Q: Can Americans get their visas extended in Hyderabad at the FRRO or do they need to go to New Delhi?

A: It depends on the visa category. Tourist visas cannot be extended and are not transferrable. Employment and Student visas are extended by the FRRO provided the necessary conditions are fulfilled.

Q: Is it mandatory to stay outside of India for two months after you exit India with a tourist visa?

A: The rule applies to every foreign national, but there are exceptions to the rule. In cases of emergencies, the Immigration officials at the airport may waive the rule. The decision is made at the port of entry, upon arrival. Advance permission to re-enter cannot be given by the Office of the FRRO. However, if the foreigner wants to return to India within the stipulated two months time, he can take permission from the Indian Embassy or the High Commission abroad. When airline officials have concerns about boarding passengers with Indian visas, they should contact Indian immigration, which is available 24/7.

Q: Can you change your visa type without leaving the country?

A: No, you must leave the country in order to change your visa type.

Q: If you’re in India for just a weekend trip, do you have to go and register at the FRRO?

A: No. Tourists who stay for less than 180 days need not register.

Q: Do the FROs in the districts report to the new FRRO?

A: The FRRO in Hyderabad offers services only for foreign nationals residing in or visiting Hyderabad (both Hyderabad and Cyberabad Commissionerates). The FRRO’s office does not oversee the affairs of the FROs at the district level. Outside of Hyderabad, at the district level, the Superintendent of Police will continue to serve as the FRO. However, there have been cases where foreign nationals have overstayed their Indian visas, and that may have led to instances where Indian officials have located and questioned visitors or foreign residents in Andhra Pradesh. The FRRO urges those visiting or residing in Andhra Pradesh to not overstay their visas.

Q: Is the FRRO a State Officer or a Central Government Officer?

A: The FRRO’s office in Hyderabad is now a Central Government of India office, which entails the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi overseeing the administration of the FRRO’s office. The former FRO’s office was an Andhra Pradesh State Government Office under the authority of the State Government’s Home Department.

Q: Can Americans naturalize and become Indian citizens?

A: Any foreigner with continuous stay of more than ten years can apply for Indian citizenship. The final decision will be made by the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi.

Q: Where is the new FRRO located?

A: At the Old Airport in Begumpet, which is very near the U.S. Consulate General in the old Paigah Palace in Secunderabad.

Foreigners Regional Registration Office

Bureau of Immigration, Beside Vijaya Bank Counter

Rajiv Gandhi Terminal

Begumpet Old Airport , Hyderabad

Phone: 040-2790-0211, 040-2790-1022, 040-2790-0388

http://hyderabadpolice.gov.in

Window Hours:

Registration: 14:30 - 16:00 hours

Other Services: 10:00 - 12:30 hours

If you have any further questions about Indian visa matters, please visit http://hyderabadpolice.gov.in

U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to enroll with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel website so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security. U.S. citizens without Internet access may enroll directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. For additional information, please refer to "A Safe Trip Abroad".

For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet website where the Worldwide Caution and current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). U.S. citizens are also encouraged to read the Country Specific Information for India.

U.S. citizens with questions or concerns may contact the American Citizens Services Unit of the Embassy or the Consulates General for further information:

· The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi is located at Shanti Path, Chanakya Puri 110021; telephone +91-11-2419-8000; fax +91-11-2419-8407.

· The U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai (Bombay) is located at Lincoln House, 78 Bhulabhai Desai Road, 400026, telephone +91-22-2363-3611; fax +91-22-2363-0350.

· The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai (Madras) is at 220 Anna Salai, Gemini Circle, 600006, telephone +91-44-2857-4000; fax +91-44-2811-2027.

· The U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata (Calcutta) is at 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, 700071; telephone +91-33-3984-2400; fax +91-33-2282-2335.

· The U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad is at Paigah Palace, 1-8-323, Chiran Fort Lane, Begumpet, Secunderabad 500 003; telephone: +91 (40) 4033-8300.

Memories

It is 9 at night but I may have had an 'Aha' MOMENT. Did youall see '60 min. tonight? Fascinating. They had five people on who could remember every day of their lives and the details of every experience. I thought it might bt be important for me as a contrast because I have no memory what's so ever, I can't even remember what happened at interviews and the major events of my life. I always thought it was a mild brain dysfunction of some kind.

These five people all had very large temporal lobs....like seven times the size of normal people. Whether these lobes were large at birth or became larger because of all the remembering, no one knew. Another things they all had in common was that they were a little bit obsessive. One lady put all her shoes in then same place, one facing in and one facing out and the colors were like color coded. They all admitted that through the years they played mind games with themselves too. Like...I remember what happened on May 4th 1974, May 4th 1975 and so on all the way up to the present.

Ok so how am I different? Boring! I can't be bothered thinking about boring things. I could care less what happened on May 4th 1940 even though I was a 6 year old child going through a lot of trauma because that's when my sister left to get married. And the next year was boring and the next year and the next. I think that early on I considered most everything in the world, in my life as too boring to really think about. And interesting about the shoes because I would just kick off my shoes when I got home from school and never be ble to find them the next day. Boring!

Ok fast forward to 1974 when I found God. Suddenly I found life not to be boring any more because everything was seen in another dimension. The Avatar was in charge so nothing was boring. If He was in charge, if He was aware of my life then everything was important now. And so from then on my life had meaning. God was, God is in charge of everything so how can it be boring.

In fact I wonder if most of us devotees don't feel that way. Our Lord has given everything meaning. Nothing is boring anymore.

Maybe we can take this another step forward and this is the reason I leap out of my bed to do this blog. Maybe it is a fact that when God is there, His presence is felt. The Divine consciousness is all around us and that makes our lives bearable. MAYBE THIS HEIGHTENED AWARENESS IS WHAT DIFFERENCEATES THE WEST AND INDIA. (I LOVE IT WHEN THE CAP LOCK COMES ON BY ITSELF)

MAYBE THIS DIVINE AWARENESS IS WHAT CREATES SUPERIORITY AMOUNG INDIAS. THEY ARE SMARTER AND WISER AND MORE KIND AND GENTAL (when they aren't being corrupt and by cheating trying to outsmart us westerners. They really are superior people, perhaps because their sense of God consciousness keeps their culture free of the boring and the mundane. Ok, I'm going back to bed.

Did I tell you I can't leave this apartment for ten more months because I signed a lease? If I left early I could never use HUD again. I had forgotten that.

Where I belong

I feed myself these blogs...ah...Swami gives me these blogs as part of my daily prayers in the morning and if I wait it's hard to remember how they go. This morning I was thinking, well, if I could find another Sai devotee to move in here who is just as poor...financially, as I am, HUD could pay the 600 for her and she could pay the 90 dollars and the tax payers wouldn't be loosing any money when I ran off to India.

Well, I could almost hear Swami's reasonable voice.

“Susan this is a perfect place for you. Don't blow it please. Look out that window and see the rosy mother covering Her Precious Lord Shiva's Bay with her divinity. Where on earth would you see such a heavenly sight first thing in the morning before getting up. You have this place, this gift from Sri Lakshmi, you have a government which actually gives you food to eat and a roof over your head, you have the love of your precious sister after a life time of alienation, you have really nice clothes and even a friend in Lois Buxbaum. You have your 'Babies' Ganesha and Bala Devi, to pray to as well as Swami and your health is getting better. Why do you want to cut and run. I've given you so much. Soon I will give you a book to write too”

So that's pretty much what He inspired me with this morning before my coffee. But India, the thought of India is so powerful.

“Swami, I have loved India for thousands of life times, I think. I simply belong in India. I have vasanas. Here I feel like a corpse in a coffin.”

Last night I watched that TV series drama, 'Outsourced' which is about an American guy in Mumbai working at a call center with a group of Indians. I watch it and simply forget where I am....I really do, I mean mental health authorities would be knocking at my door if they knew how much I forget where I AM. They have auto rickshaws, green coconut sellers on the streets along with dosas. The people in the office are kind and lovable and funny and warm just like the people in Puttaparthi. They waggle their heads and have small idols of Lakshmi on their desks and freak out when this American guy even touches them on the back. Anyway, I'm always ready to fly to India the day after I watch that show it's such a strong attachment.

I was praying to the Divine Mother this morning. She's always more direct.

“You say you belong in India, Susan. “ (I know She's really Swami in another costume)

“Did you ever feel as if you REALLY belonged on that ashram? Did you ever feel as if you REALLY belonged in round house 3? Even here, did you ever feel as if you belonged in your sister's house? Do you feel as if you belong here now in this palatial flat I've given you? Did you really feel that you belonged with your mother on her lap? “WHERE DO YOU REALLY BELONG, SUSAN?”

“I BELONG WITHIN MY PRECIOUS SWAMI, AMMA”

“AND WHERE ARE YOU NOW AT THIS MOMENT?”

“WITHIN MY PRECIOUS SWAMI?”

“THAT'S RIGHT, NOW YOU ARE WHERE YOU BELONG”

Lord Shiva in the Real World

Lord Shiva in the Real World

Afew days ago I was thinking about my life here and deciding all was not really well. A large part of me was still in India and didn't want to let go of those roots. So, I spoke to the Administrator of Peterborough yesterday. I told her that I was thinking about returning to India for 6 months and then coming back to my flat. She explained that HUD pays like 700 a month for this flat and gives it to me for 90. HUD doesn't like loosing so much money and so they have a rule that a resident can't have two places at once. If you live here its because you need to and there are no alternatives. I was told that if I left before the year's lease was up, I could not return, not now, and NOT EVER.

THAT WAS TWO DAYS AGO AND I'M STILL LITERALLY DIZZY WITH THE NEWS.

I will not be able to return to Swami for another ten months at least. What have I done?

Well of course I could simply leave and tell them to keep all the garage sale furniture and the thrift shop clothes AND the computer printer and maybe the music board and....but maybe some of you remember what my celestial sister went through at her advanced age to get me here. Maybe the 'old Susie' would have been able to say.... “I'm going back to India, I'm splitting , sorry for all the trouble” but Sai Graduates don't express their love and gratitude in that manner. Besides in six months I'd be back on her door step. She would always take me in but.....I couldn't. Besides why did He let this happen? Did He want me to be stuck in the west.

You know, I've keep myself under wraps all this time, reading my prayers, meditating haha in the middle of the night and really not communicating very much. I'm actually alone here all day except when I run down in the elevator for the mail. At 1019 when a visitor would come I would excuse myself and run upstairs. Actually I never really left India. I have stayed isolated but how can I do this....for a year?

I could go across the street to the Senior Center but, yukk, what if I met someone....made a real friend who wasn't a Sai devotee. I could even join the Sai Baba Center. I wouldn't have to worry about meeting a friend there....not possible, but boring.

I thought that I had joined the world but now I realize I haven't at all. I'm shy. I only communicate by letter or by telephone. That's why I do this blog. I DON'T WANT TO JOIN THE WORLD out there which I can see fifteen floors below. The lake is so very beautiful and the bay.

Did you all know that Shiva is the water? Shiva is the water and Shakthi, Goddess Parvati, is the life in the water. I look out on the bay many times during the day. Sometimes it is a silver line, sometimes when it is windy I can see silver caps and the water hitting the rocks. It's so beautiful. When I have trouble with jealousy like with my sister's kids, I make a packet and drop it in the bay. He takes all of that, you know, like He did when He swallowed all the poison. My Shiva is still swallowing the poison.

Oh God, how can I even step foot in the world of people who don't see that Lord Shiva is the Bay.

Graduates, move on

I think I sort of got it right this morning. With this bad memory of mine, the truth floats in and out but I hope to be able to hold on to this, this part of the truth, at least until Christmas.

It all started with plans for Christmas, I was planning one thing but 'the family' was planning another. So I took off the thin gold bracelet from the family and gave it to Swami. I gave Him the bracelet and threw in the family. It was a huge offering. After all I was only a visitor at their table anyway and left as soon as soon as I could make other arrangements. I really did bond with my precious sister though.

Then I offered Him the Sai Centers. There's some saying about being born in the church built on the side of the bridge but not staying in it. Churches, temples, Sai Centers all maybe very cozy but they have been built there on a bridge. No one in their right mind would think they were permanent. You are suppose to move on.

I came back here to the Tampa Bay Center after....many years in India and after one visit realized that it is not MY CENTER. This morning I realized how stupid I've been to think it was at all. I don't know one other devotee, say of 70's or 80's vintage, who ever goes to a Sai Center. THEY'VE MOVED ON, SUSIE I managed to croak out this morning between coughing spells. YOU IDIOT, YOU THINK YOU HAVE TO CHANGE SWAMI'S ENTIRE ORGANIZATION WHEN YOU JUST HAVE TO CHANGE YOURSELF!

How many times have we heard Him say....'you wear green glasses, everything is green.' I've even seen cartons with the King painting the village green and being told when there was no more green paint...'OH KING, FIND A PAIR OF GREEN GLASSES, IF YOU LIKE THE COLOR SO MUCH.'

GRADUATE DOESN'T PERTAIN TO SOMEONE WHO HAS ONLY JUST STUDIED SWAMI'S LESSONS OR HEARD ALL OF HIS DISCOURSES. IT MEANS SOMEONE WHO HAS PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE AND MOVED ON.

SO WHAT'S THE POINT? THE POINT IS THAT I AM 75 AND NO LONGER A MEMBER OF THIS BIRTH FAMILY. NO HUSBAND, NO CHILDREN, NO MEMBERSHP. I WAS JUST A GUEST AT THEIR TABLE. NOR AM I A MEMBER OF THE SAI FAMILY, THE SAI CENTERS. MY CENTER IS INSIDE, DEAR GOD, DON'T I KNOW THAT?

My work is to look into my beautiful clean heart and happily reside there with Swami. I don't have to belong to this family or to this Center, I BELONG TO SWAMI Swami is my center. Swami is myself. I'm still trying to get across this bridge and let me tell you, it is cumbersome to try to drag the entire Sai Organization across the bridge too. Besides it doesn't want to be moved. It is very happy being where it is, doing Swami's work with their Sanskrit bhajans AND DOING SEVA PROJECTS in a detached manner.

Hey I've come to the same conclusion again this morning. The same conclusion we always seem to reach. Swami has put me here, all alone, to do the inside work. Oh God, I just hope I don't forget again tomorrow. Its really embarrassing.

Dear American citizens

We bring this message to your attention so you can carefully consider the information it contains. Please pass along the information below to the American citizens in your area or put this information on your notice boards for dissemination. Thank you for your cooperation.

According to press reports and local police authorities an explosion occurred in Varanasi at the Dashashwamedh Ghat near the Vishwanath Temple at around 6:30 this evening. Media reports indicate 20-25 people were injured including a number of foreigners with one fatality. Police are on high alert across India. At this time, the motive for the attack is not known.

U.S. citizens are urged to always practice good security and to maintain a heightened situational awareness and a low profile. U.S. citizens are advised to monitor local news reports and consider the level of security present when visiting public places, including religious sites.

U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to enroll with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel website so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security. U.S. citizens without Internet access may enroll directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. For additional information, please refer to "A Safe Trip Abroad".

For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet website where the Worldwide Caution and current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). U.S. citizens are also encouraged to read the Country Specific Information for India.

U.S. citizens with questions or concerns may contact the American Citizens Services Unit of the Embassy or the Consulates General for further information:

· The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi is located at Shanti Path, Chanakya Puri 110021; telephone +91-11-2419-8000; fax +91-11-2419-8407.

· The U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai (Bombay) is located at Lincoln House, 78 Bhulabhai Desai Road, 400026, telephone +91-22-2363-3611; fax +91-22-2363-0350.

· The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai (Madras) is at 220 Anna Salai, Gemini Circle, 600006, telephone +91-44-2857-4000; fax +91-44-2811-2027.

· The U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata (Calcutta) is at 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, 700071; telephone +91-33-3984-2400; fax +91-33-2282-2335.

· The U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad is at Paigah Palace, 1-8-323, Chiran Fort Lane, Begumpet, Secunderabad 500 003; telephone: +91 (40) 4033-8300

American Atma

That's right, I've become obsessed with this idea of bringing the Sai Centers into the American fold. I haven't done my prayers yet this morning as its only five but I've offered this to Swami. I've just started offering stuff to Swami because obviously EVERYTHING comes from Him anyway but it really does seem to help keep things surrendered. Sort of a double safeguard from the old ego.

Let's get started right away with this Americanization stuff. I feel just a little hypocritical about discussing the Sai Centers because I don't go and maybe I'm talking through my hat but, what the heck, this seems to be what He wants. I feel as if He has me working in His garden here and planting a few hybrid seeds with red, white and blue blossoms. Sweet, huh?

To begin with the project name shouldn't be SOW when too many of us are pretty rotund anyway. I thought maybe we could refer to these seeds as...ASD or American Sai Devotee seeds and see, this opens it up to everyone of all ages and races. Maybe even the adult NRI's might feel good about a stronger sense of patriotism towards their adoptive land. We all know how Swami feels about honoring the land of our birth but perhaps we must honor the land which gives us all these opportunities also.

First let me say I think about five or six people read my blog so the influence is very limited. I don't want anyone thinking that I'm going through the manic phase of my bipolar ness or anything. That's my own diagnosis, by the way. But these ideas are so ah...loud and vivid in my head these days that it would seem to be....SWAMI'S WORK. And no, I'm not hallucinating!

Now I may sound like a nut but this country...America, is going through a very tough period. We almost bottomed out on the economic thing which I don't understand, and then there's the war which is bringing thousands of these really young guys back with out arms and legs and smashed in heads....those that make it. that is. Ok my Daddy was in the military but I've never felt much patriotism before, terrible Viet Nam war and all. So I come back from India and feel so very sad for these wounded warriors. Bush's Iraq war was over but now this war, though justified....is killing us. What can we do?

We can be proud of America. I think we should say the pledge of allegiance every week and maybe say it at the Centers. I think one of our service projects should be to cheer up the warriors. Now we shouldn't go tell them not to worry because the Avatar has come or anything like that but...I remember a line from a song we use to sing.....'They'll know we are His children by the love in our eyes, yes, they'll know we are God's children by our love'

We could go and write letters for those without arms and walk with those with artificial legs. Unfortunately this cough of mine pretty much keeps me from doing anything but....let's all remember one very important thing, SRI SATHYA SAI BABA, OUR BELOVED. IS ALSO AN AMERICAN. And our songs should always have American translations and our discussions should concern the application of His values to our American way of life. We Americans grew up with GOOD values too.

Sai Ram, Susan, the little ol' trouble maker,

A reply from a beloved friend ...

It was good hearing from you and knowing your thinking about some of the changes that need to be made in the Sai Organization. This is exactly what we talked about at the World Conference. I just got back from India and I'm writing to you because I can't sleep, but it's past 2:30. I did sleep until 5:00 this morning and that's good. I did miss seeing you, it's just not the same there even in Arch 2. It was a good trip but too many people, and my flight home was most difficult. I few Lufthansa for the first time, and because of weather or pilot slowdown, our plane was late leaving Bangalore, and I missed my flight to LA in Frankfurt. So they put me on United to San Francisco, and Delta to LA. United served me a half frozen sandwich which was awful and the seats are so close you can hardly get out to go to the bathroom. Then my luggage didn't show so I missed my flight to LA, and had to wait an extra 2 hours to get to LA. My luggage finally came home yesterday. Needless to say, I'm not anxious to make that trip again for a while.

Inside Outside

Bought a camera for my eyes, a printer for space, musical key board for hearing and memory for thinking and it was all WRONG. SWAMI SENT ME HERE TO BE BY MYSELF, YOU KNOW GO WITHIN AND ALL THAT AND WHAT DO I DO? EQUIPE MY OUTTER SELF. DID ANY OF YOU PICK UP ON THAT BIG MISTAKE?

THEN I GOT ALL INVOLVED IN ACTUALLY TRYING TO CHANGE HIS ORGANIZATION HERE WHICH I FOUND TO BE TOO OUTWARD ORIENTED. DIDN'T ANYONE SEE THE JOKE HERE? Obviously I should be doing my own inner work and not trying to change the outer organization which is really just fine for people who may be a little outer oriented now anyway. I am not suppose to be in that worldly state. He ripped me up, dusted off the roots and all but threw me here all alone so I could BE WITH HIM ONLY and what do I do? I try to change HIS PROGRAM, his program IN THE WORLD FOR GOD'S SAKE.

I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN EVER CHANGE MY DIRECTION FROM OUTER TO INWARD. I do Lalitha's 1000 names every morning in English and one of the names chants about HER beautifully painted toe nails pointing towards the correct path for the devotee. I always make a big deal out of this name and thump my heart indicating the fact that Her precious feet are pointing in this direction. Even this doesn't seem to do the trick. I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO LOOK INSIDE. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm meditating haha, but what I end up doing is thinking about thinking about going inside rather than actually doing it.

I tried so hard to focus the point of my blog towards the absolute, the TRUTH, thinking that this was REALLY going inward. I mean it isn't possible to find the TRUTH in the world, is it or is it? Isn't the TRUTH a completely different reality than the one we look at all the time? I suppose I should simply give up and enjoy watching Oprah and Jon Steward but my God, He's gone through so much trouble to put me here all alone in this great flat just so I can find my real self inside and all that. Not only that but I really am scared that I'm losing so many neurons up there around my Sahastrara....Google couldn't even spell that one at all. I've got to find my real self before it's too late. But I have wondered about this. I knew one lady who came to the ashram slipping and sliding pretty fast. She kept looking very scared and screeching...'oh my god, I for got that, I forgot that'.. She has since passed over but I kept quoting the book, 'No Mind, I am the Self' to her although it didn't help. But is it the same? Does anyone know? Could it be that Alzheimer's patients are REALLY FULLY REALIZED? When you totally lose your mind are you living in the TRUTH? Who would know because no one could say. Maybe that sweet old man who straightens piles of newspapers all day sees the papers as planes of consciousness.

Ok so now that I've become less interested in reorganizing the Sai Centers I've remembered another dream from long ago. Sathya Sai Ramayana Theme Parks. Now I'll have to write to Swami about that! You think I'm kidding don't you?

India Journal November 23 2010

I write this today thinking of those of you who are Sai Baba devotees whose thoughts were on Puttaparthi today. Today was Sai Baba’s 85th birthday celebration, something that we have talked about and anticipated for the whole year. Five of us left the clinic at 4:30 this morning and walked to the outdoor stadium. No rickshaws allowed in town today and just as well because the street was full of people even at that hour. Everyone was in a celebratory mood and it felt like a birthday party. We five women passed the line of men that reached from the stadium entry to beyond the colleges and hostels. We began to wonder how far we would have to go to reach the end of the women’s line that would go the other direction reaching into town. But when we got to the women’s stadium entry we stopped to look inside and the security people let us in! We jumped the queue and didn’t have to wait at all!! Miracle!

December the first, Madness

5 am and I really don't have anything to say. After my haha meditation this morning I was thinking about the past six months. Yes Swami did this to me before in 1974. I lost my home, my partner, my doggies, my profession as a social worker and my country ending up in India for 30 years. Then this year, 2010 I have lost my ashram room, my Indian persona, my Indian life, friends, and my country and reason to be. The 1974 'wipe out' may have ended the life of Susan Caffery. I became someone else, Susanama

or Sudhanam the pseudonym I used to write many of my books. Now, who the hell am I and why am I at all?

In the States there is the institution of 'BLACK THANKSGIVING where everyone rushes to start buying for Christmas at 4 in the morning the day after Thanksgiving. I can't RUSH anywhere much less at 4 in the morning but my new Sufi friend did it for me. I gave her 200 and she bought a camera for my PC, a musical keyboard, a printer for my PC and a memory chip. All these things I will need for my new life. The camera for new sight, the musical keyboard for new hearing, new printer for the manifestion of my new life and ….memory. I managed to purchase with my left over karma, my cash, all the things I will need for my new life. My sister calls me SUSIE so maybe that is my name now.

How does this relate to being a Sai Graduate? Well THIS is the new life which will allow me to become Swami's instrument here and now, isn't it? We have been replanted and He expects us to blossom where ever He has planted us. I did it before in 1974, didn't I? Course I was in my 40's and living at the very feet of the Kali Yuga Avatar then.

And now? A little older but so what? And aren't we still living at the feet of the Kali Yuga Avatar? Are those PRECIOUS feet only strong and powerful while at His very own ashram? I think that's silly. It's all HIS ASHRAM.

Ok Susie you're all equipped and ready for this new life, new name, new printer, new memories. But what's the plot? Could it possibly be a new 'Multi Faith St. Petersburg Sai Center? Oh come on, I'm certainly NOT a leader. All my life, or should I say, in both lives, I've been a highly successful person in the number two slot. I'm a follower not a leader....always ….and now that I'm in the last act of my life, or the first act of a new life, I really don't want to change that pattern.

I did have one idea about the Multi Faith Sai Center though....about the music. I listen to PBS on TV and lately they've been playing all the old folk songs from the 60's. 'Michail rowed the boat ashore' for instance. Wonderful songs I grew up with and they would be great with Swami lyrics, easy to sing and from the heart. What's wrong with 'Swami rowed the boat to shore' But really, all those great 'end the war' songs and also the songs of the Civil Rights Movement' like 'We Shall Overcome'....all those songs would be fun to sing as 'Swami Songs' at a Center dedicated to...'loving all of His children, all over this land'. I named this blog, December madness and you can see why, can't you? Here I am, this new puppet, just waiting for the Master's hand.

Sai Ram,

The crowd grows larger, more security, more incredible decorations and Baba remains Loving and unpredictable. The sun has been present with rain a memory.

There is plenty of water in the Chitravathi.

With all the people that are here, the organization has been perfect.

There are numerous information places to help with everything. Book stalls in many places. Seva dals were available to assist in many situations including personal ones. The free food tent has numerous counters to minimize waiting time. There is an international medical camp and an Indian medical tent.

The decorations have been unbelievable. Photos can do it some justice.

The police of several different types and rank have been numerous. Numbers range from 2500 to 4000. Everything is orderly. The Ganesh entrance has received an airport type scanner for x-raying luggage.

The planned closing of Main Street hasn’t happened because the by-pass road hasn’t been completed.

The shed area on the western side has been transformed. Five new double 3-story building have been completed. One building A4-A5 has been reserved for foreigners.

The others are for local people of India. The 2 DD buildings that had been used for foreigners are now for local people.

The area has been transformed and made wider. By DD2 there is a Ganesh statue.

In one area behind some of the new sheds hugh tents have been put up which holds several thousand people. The toilets and showers are outside the tents. This group was for men.

On the road leading away from the book store past the food plaza big tents but smaller than those just mentioned have been placed for women seva dals.

The grassy area by the food court and shopping center has been paved with a big fountain in the middle.

The General Hospital has been decorated outside with streamers hanging down. The Shirdi Sai Statues area has be fixed up.

In the ashram as you go to N1 to N2 are several models of various temples in India.

Thursday – November 18th. In the morning was the Rathotsavam. The evening was pure joy as the children from the Sri Sathya Sai Primary School enacted their drama.

As Baba entered the hall at 6:40, a song about the love between Baba and his students was sung. It was a blend of Veda chanting, music and song. There was a procession led by the children’s band, children chanting Vedas and boys dressed in kurta and turbans. Baba was also preceded by 2 boys carrying umbrellas.

The backdrop for the play was the digital screen that was set up in the driveway by the lions. The screen kept changing with very interesting photos. Some of which were of Baba at different times. What made this play even more special was that

It was broadcasted from the verandah so we were able to see the action and the screen change.

The drama called, “Sai Avataram” was about the various prophets that have walked the earth including Sankara, Mohammed, Buddha and Jesus. The story of Upamanyu was told with Shiva appearing. There was also a scene involving the debate about the paths of Wisdom and Love as to which was better. One person endowed with wisdom came to realize that the gopis with their love and devotion for Krishna were in a higher state of wisdom than he was.

The finale involved students in the audience waving color lights. Their plead was for Baba to grant them hearts like the Gopis.

Baba came to the white tile for photos. He was pleased with their discipline as the format around him changed. As he distributed shirt and pants to them, he asked them to sing bhajans.

Arathi was at 8:20

Friday – November 19th. This was ladies day. Men were not allowed in before 10:00. President of India, Pratibha Patil, flew into Prasanthi Nilayam airport where she was greeted by several dignitaries. Her car came to Baba residence from the west end of the driveway.

At 12 noon, the President with Narasimhan, Governor of Andhra Pradesh; Shivraj Patil, Governor of Punjab; and Geeta Reddy, Information and Tourist Mininster for A.P. came with Baba into the hall preceded by a procession of Vedic chanting girls and the Anantapur Brass Band.

Chetana Raju, Managing Trustee of Easwaramma Women Welfare Trust, spoke about the various activities of the trust.

Mallika Srinivasan, Director of Amalgations Group and CEO of TAFE India, talked about the chaotic condition of the world and that Love was the answer. She praised Presdient Patil.

Geeta Reddy spoke about how Baba with his grace has great affected her life. She also spoke about Mother Easwaramma selfless ambitions. Baba’s life for 85 years has been one of selfless service.

President Patil spoke next. See attached for the text.

By the way, this date is the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi

Hyma Reddy from U.S. A. thanked everyone.

After which there was a dance drama “Mahishasura Mardhini”. It was very powerful and kept everyone’s attention. Great performance. The drama was about the annihilation of demons by Durga.

After arathi at 1:00 Baba went to the interview room with President Patil. A luncheon followed before she left around 2:30.

Security was very tight for her visit. Stores along Main Street were checked even with a sniffer dog.

In the evening Baba came into the hall at 7:00 preceded by the primary school band and the Anantapur band. After completing a round of darshan, Baba arrived at verandah center with the program starting immediately.

The students from Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar in Hyderabad performed beautiful dances for 3 songs. Next, was a music performance by Sudha Raghunathan who did 5 songs. Baba gave her a sari while the men in her group received silk dhotis.

After which there were 2 bhajans followed by arathi.

Saturday – November 20th. This is the day for the 9th World Conference which was held in the Poornachandra consisting of about 400 delegates. Speeches were made by Dr.Goldstein. David Gries and Narendra Reddy followed by study circles. A different format was used this year in selecting delegates which restricted the numbers to that lower than previous years.

The focus was on how to make the Sai organization better and how it can help bring man closer to God.

In the evening, Baba came into Kulwant Hall at 6:40. When he arrived at verandah center, Baba continued to listen to bhajans. However, the Sathya Sai Symphony Orchestra of about 50 people from around the world had set up on the center white tile with instruments including a piano and big drums. They waited for Baba to give the signal to play Mozart and Bach.

However, Baba was engrossed in the intense singing and love pouring from his students singing bhajans. Baba fingers and hand moved to the beat. Baba seemed to be in another dimension as they played.

Just before 7:30, when he was reminded of the concert, Baba said something to Dr. Goldstein before asking for arathi at 7:35. Baba spent another 10 minutes talking to students and official before leaving.

Attached are photos of Chariot Day which was on the 18th, President Patil Speech, a photo of President Patil and Sai Baba.

There are 2 Thoughts of the Day.

Thought of the Day

18th November 2010

Every concrete manifestation of God is significant. There can be no higher or lower. The story of each one of them is elevating. Each is a complete manifestation. Listening to their stories may make you feel that one manifestation is grander and more sublime than another. It would appear as if you get more inspiration from one Avatar (Divine incarnation) than another. But all are equally Divine and enigmatic. Every manifestation is suited to the time, the task, the circumstance and the need. Its form is in accordance with the purpose.

Baba

Thought of the Day

20th November 2010

For the protection of the world, for upholding Dharma (righteousness), for fulfilling the yearnings of devotees, He wills and assumes a special Form and moves in the world. He confers joy on the devotees by His Divine acts, which convince them of His Advent. They are thus confirmed in their faith and prompted to dedicate their activities to God and thus save themselves, and liberate themselves. On certain occasions, for resolving certain urgent crisis, God has incarnated with Forms embodying only a part of His Divinity, with some Divine powers and potentialities.

- Baba

Thanksgiving

I wanted to write something for American Thanksgiving which I hope becomes an international festival like St. Valentine's or Halloween. I have been given so many things to be grateful for in the last six months.....after loosing everything that was important to me, practically my ver y life when I HAD TO LEAVE India

THIS HUGE SHIFT IN CONSCIOUSNESS HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE IN MY LIFE IN CALIFORNIA. i WAS SO VERY HAPPY IN 1974 BEFORE SWAMI STRIPED ME AND TOSSED ME INTO HIS WASHING MACHINE,

I was such a happy person that I would sing little 'thank you songs'. "Thank you Lord for my beautiful cottage, thank you Lord for my kind and understanding partner, "Thank you Lord for my two doggies, Max and Butch, "Thank you Lord for my van and my Honda car....I would go on and on that way as I drove around Los Angeles making home calls as a social worker.

Then I visited India for two weeks and saw God and His washing machine..

My partner died of cancer, I left the cottage which was rented, gave away my two cars and my dogies. I LOST ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING and moved to India.

Ok so 30 years later I was doing mantras thanking God for my room in Round House 3 in His ashram, thanking Him for His daily darsans, for my friends, for my beautiful sarees and soooo much money to give away..

I WILL NOT RENEW YOUR VISA AND YOU WILL HAVE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY.

Yes once again I lost absolutely everything in my life. As I think back to that period I wonder why they didn't put me in a mental institution butI soldiered on somehow. and even started writing blogs for us Sai Graduates.

. Even when I felt like I was mentally ill.

Over the past six months I have been given everything I need to start a new life, with my Beloved Swami's picture always by my side.

One of the traditions here in the USA is called BLACK THURSDAY and people line up outside the big department stores just before Thanksgiving with lists of 'good deals' I needed stuff....the last bits and pieces to completely furnish my beautiful apartment. I knew I could never go shopping but a Sai Devotee, Lois Buxbaum showed up the day before, took 200 dollars and brought me a digital camera, a musical key board, a brand new telephone and memory chips the next morning. I hadn't laid eyes on her in about 20 years.

So am I grateful to Swami for these things? Yes I am grateful for all of it, the pain and suffering included. OK mADHU PLEASE DO THIS AS A BLOG and then add next...the artical on thanksfulness by Oprah....Ok?

The process of purifying the inner equipment of man in the crucible of single-pointed speech, feeling and activity, directed towards God is called thapas (penance). The inner consciousness will then be rid of all blemishes and defects. When the inner consciousness has been rendered pure and unsullied, God will reside therein. Finally, he will experience the vision of the Lord Himself, within him.

- Vidya Vahini, Ch 19.

By Oprah Winfrey

I live in the space of thankfulness - and I have been rewarded a million times over for it. I started out giving thanks for small things, and the more thankful I became, the more my bounty increased.

That's because what you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.

"Say thank you!" Those words from my friend and mentor Maya Angelou turned my life around. One day about ten years ago, I was sitting in my bathroom with the door closed and the toilet lid down, booing and ahooing on the phone so uncontrollably that I was incoherent.

"Stop it! Stop it right now and say thank you!" Maya chided.

"But - you don't understand," I sobbed.

To this day, I can't remember what it was that had me so far gone, which only proves the point Maya was trying to make. "I do understand," she told me. "I want to hear you say it now. Out loud. 'Thank you.'" Tentatively, I repeated it: "Thank you - but what am I saying thank you for?"

"You're saying thank you," Maya said, "because your faith is so strong that you don't doubt that whatever the problem, you'll get through it. You're saying thank you because you know that even in the eye of the storm, God has put a rainbow in the clouds. You're saying thank you because you know there's no problem created that can compare to the Creator of all things. Say thank you!"

So I did - and still do. Only now I do it every day. I kept a gratitude journal, as Sarah Ban Breathnach suggests in Simple Abundance, listing at least five things that I'm grateful for. My list includes small pleasures: the feel of Kentucky bluegrass under my feet (like damp silk); a walk in the woods with all nine of my dogs and my cocker spaniel Sophie trying to keep up; cooking fried green tomatoes with Stedman and eating them while they're hot; reading a good book and knowing another awaits.

My thank-you list also includes things too important to take for granted: an "okay" mammogram, friends who love me, 15 years at the same job (and loving it more than the first day I started), a chance to share my vision for a better life, staying centered, having financial security.

I won't kid you, having money for all the things I want is a blessing. But as I look back over my journals, which I've kept since I was 15 years old, 99 per cent of what brought me real joy had nothing to do with money . (It had a lot to do with food, however.)

It's not easy being grateful all the time. But it's when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: PERSPECTIVE. Just knowing you have that daily list to complete allows you to look at your day differently, with an awareness of every sweet gesture and kind thought passed your way. When you learn to say thank you, you see the world anew. And as Meister Eckhart so eloquently stated:

"If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is 'Thank you God', that would suffice."

Happy Birthday or what

Ok well today is the big one, Swami's 85th Birthday. I am here and His form is there.


Sri Sathya Sai Baba

My Beloved

You made a promise so long ago

You said that You would never leave me

You said you'd never ever let me go

Sri Sathya Sai Baba'

I believed you

But now I'm here and You are there

Yet, you know, I'm never lonely

Because I know you're everywhere


I wrote it from a little jingle I've heard on TV.

Anyway I have to eat now so I'll talk to you later

I was thinking previously that Swami has said He doesn't like to celebrate His Birthday because He is eternal. But we should celebrate His birthday because He has taken birth to save humanity. Who else has done that? He came down here to earth knowing how much suffering would be involved yet He came anyway. No other form of God has done this at this time, only our Baba. And, of course we must consider all that He has accomplished, that little skinny boy in the short pants who took birth in one of the meanest most cruel places on the planet. We know how much He has had to suffer all through His life. If we could see we would notice all the dark blue on His throat from the poison He's had to drink for us. I spoke to Madhu, my programmer this morning and He said we should celebrate His birth every single day.

Well I missed His birthday. This year has been the first in 30 years I've missed and yet all along I had the feeling He really didn't care if I celebrated it or not. I also felt uneasy celebrating my own birthday but then, I was never glad that I was born, nor was my poor mother who at 42 really didn't want another child. She soldiered on however and tried her very best to be a good mother. My sister, ten years older, the one I've been living with lately, was my real mother though. Neither here nor there.

What is important though is that this morning after my meditation I had a bit of the truth. I somehow knew that I AM THE SPACE BETWEEN THE WORDS OR BETWEEN THE THOUGHTS. I AM THE GROUND, THE FIELD.

I spend a lot of time trying to be the thinker of my thoughts, the one who feels my feelings, I AM THAT I AM.

THIS WAS SUCH A PROFOUND THOUGHT OR THE SPACE BETWEEN MY THOUGHTS WAS SO PROFOUND that I turned off John Stewart. I was feeling so peaceful that I didn't want to stop the bliss. Happy Birthday Swami, it is the Indian way to give gifts to others on your birthday and You gave me the very nicest one.

Sai Ram

Last week, when Ronne Marantz gave a talk at the Manhattan Sai Center, she read a very powerful quotation of Swam's. So, when someone later asked if I could have Ronne send the quote to us, when I did, I also requested that Ronne put the quote within the same context which she had at the Center, for the benefit of those who were not present, as well as for those who were.

Dr. Marantz has graciously obliged with the following:

God Is…I am I

Dr. Ronne Marantz

“Your duty is to abandon. Abandon all your plans, even the best ones. Abandon all the theories you cherish, the doctrines you hold dear, the systems of knowledge that have cluttered your brain, the preferences you have accumulated, the pursuit of fame, fortune, scholarship, superiority. These are all material, objective. Enter into the objective world after becoming aware of the Atma. Then you will realize that all is the play of the Atma.” Sri Sathya Sai Baba

This quotation, which I recently came across in the dedication to Phyllis Krystal’s book, Taming the Monkey Mind, is, I believe, the key to the door of the room in which we find the gift He has come to give: “I will give you what you want, until you want what I have come to give.” Sri Sathya Sai Baba

I love ‘jnanayoga’ – the path of wisdom! Whether in this life or the next, Self-realization is the inherent capacity of a human being. And it is through the development of character, the drawing out of the intrinsic human values within, that Self-realization unfolds; this is the philosophy of Sathya Sai Education --- Educare, in which lies the gift He has come to give.

Naturally, we spiritual aspirants on the path for many years in this life, as well as the many lives we have had, can say with some ease that we are not attached to our worldly possessions, fame or fortune, or even family. But how many of us can say with sincerity that we are not attached to our “preferences” --- our thoughts and opinions? Are we prepared to “abandon” them?

When I first came across the notion that the strongest and final attachment is to our opinions (thoughts) some years ago, I immediately put myself on an ‘opinion diet’! Not that I have no opinions. In fact, much of my professional work as an educator, and my involvement in Sathya Sai Education, requires that I offer opinions. What I am learning is how not to be attached to them!

In the Kali Yuga, it is said that repetition of the name and selfless service are the most important for achieving Self-realization. Why? Swami has also declared that devotional and service activities (bhaktiyoga and karmayoga), without discrimination (viveka) and self-inquiry (vicara), the essential tools of jnanayoga, are useless. Not that they are not ‘useful’ or important! Devotion and selfless service create the space for conscious (living), conscience and consciousness to arise. It is in these states of detachment, equanimity, and mindfulness that we ‘notice’ --- that we become ‘the witness’, and manifest our capacities for discrimination and self-inquiry.

As a lover of ‘wisdom’ (which includes my love for devotion and selfless service), and through the practice of discrimination and self-inquiry, I have come to see the nature of vasanas (alternately called samskaaras) and how they play their part in ego-identity, manifesting as ‘preferences’ (attractions and aversions). Through discrimination and self-inquiry I am finding that I can ‘face’, ‘erase’ and ‘replace’ them, by drawing out the human values within. In this manner, I believe, we can live in that state of constant-integrated-awareness (CIA) or sat-chit-ananda that is the ‘gift He has come to give’.

Om Sai Ram!

Bits and Pieces

5 am at Peterborbough Apts. It is so great to be able to get out of bed and simply turn on the computer and write a message without bothering anyone. Express yourself. I am reading a book written by a friend who lives in Arizona, Dixie Cooper. It is a wonderful book and she's had incredible experiences.

But the thing I wanted to bring out here is a Swami quote about the Sai Organization. It really fits in with what we have been talking about.....and then I promise I'll let it go. My sister says I try to 'social work' everything and people don't like it. This is the quote:

The main objective of the Sai Organization is to help you recognize the divinity in you. So your duty is to emphasize the One, to experience the One in all you do or speak. Do not give importance to differences of religion, sect, status or color. Have the feeling of One-ness permeating all your acts. Only those who do so have a place in this Organization, the rest can withdraw

Sathya Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Speaks Volume 9

And so we must emphasize Oneness at our Centers, the Sai Center of the Organization as well as the Sai Center of our very selves. In our meditation as well as our every day thoughts and feelings we must get in touch with that Onneness, get in touch with ourselvs. Youall may not have a problem with that after so many years of sadhana but I think I have a brain problem. I can't seem to zero in on myself. I think the reason I don't consentrate enough on Swami is because I don't consentrate on myself. Does anyone else have this problem? Probably not.

So I found another quote, this time not from Swami but from a guy named Manoinus and I think he lived centuries ago. Our friend Jackie Davies gives us this quote from her Blog, Awareness-translator or something like that. I'll look that up for your. She writes 'On the Reality'. Here is the quote:

Abandon the search for God and this creation and other matters of a similar sort. Look for Him (Look for Swami) by taking yourself as the starting point. Learn who it is within you who makes everything his own and says, 'MY God, MY mind, MY thoughts, MY soul, MY body. Learn the source of sorrow, joy, love and hate. If you carefully investigate these matters you will find HIM IN YOURSELF.

Swami talks about the I AM. Same thing isn't it. We spend our lives trying to get away from 'I and Mine' only to resume the search in a different way. I and Mine can be sheer ego but I AM is the liberating SELF within because it is the Lord.

My (ha ha) meditation has for years been the chanting of the Mother's mantra, the Panchadasi. It is simply a string of 'Bijas' or Sanskrit words and it definitely does encourage the Shakthi to awaken quietly. I probably shouldn't stop doing this but perhaps I should spend more time trying to focus on the Real Self. In fact I know I should. In fact I think that's what I should be doing now in my own space in the last years of my life. I wish I'd started sooner but I read something else in Dixie's book. Baba says, 'To remove anyone's ignorance is entirely dependant on my will'.

Dear Sai Baba Devotees holding US Passports,

OM SAI RAM

Welcome to all our overseas visitors.

Wishing everyone a lovely Ladies' Day and a glorious Bhagavan Baba's Birthday!!

Below are some really useful tips to help you have a safe and pleasant stay:

1) For any visitor to Prashanthi Nilayam, it is a GREAT idea to make a PHOTOCOPY

of your PASSPORT and VISA with the 24/7 PHONE NUMBER of the CONSULATE ,and carry it with you OUTSIDE as well as INSIDE the ashram.( TEL below for US Consulate)

This simple procedure will help you avoid a host of unwanted snafus, including passport theft, and it is the LAW. (Police may request that you produce your identification papers at any time.)

2) Several cases of mistaken identity have occurred inside the ashram which would have been cleared up instantly if identity papers could have been produced.

(Bear in mind that all Causasians tend to look the same to Indian Authorities)

3) Remember also, that your Tourist visa is for 180 days ( not six months), so count the days carefully.

"Overstay", unfortunately, is a crime with imprisonment..

4) If you are staying in Puttaparthi, please remember to fill out Police Form C upon arrival and Form F upon departure. Normally you will find these forms at your place of residence.

It is best to make a PHOTOCOPY of these DOCUMENTS as proof of police registration may be required at the airport.

All airports are now equipped with state of the art computers.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at the email address above , or Kryshna at kryshnajai@yahoo.com ,if I am not available.

All Baba's blessings of peace and happiness to you at this auspicious time.

Yours Lovingly in Sai Service,

Margot A. Hoagland,

Warden ACS, Puttaparthi Area