Michael G. Goldstein, M.D.
Chairman
__________________________________________
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Sai Ram!
Welcome to the Sri Sathya Sai International Young Adult Conference.
We are a group of spiritual aspirants following the light of God. Our Beloved Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is the light of God. He is the source of Truth and Love. He is the Divine Indweller in the hearts of all people forevermore.
I. INTRODUCTION
Spiritual principles must prevail in our lives, in our organization, in all programs, practices, conferences and actions, personal and organizational. Management administers observation of rules. Conscience administers adherence to spiritual principles.
Spiritual principles are God given and, if faithfully practiced, lead to spiritual authenticity.
Spiritual authenticity in our words and deeds, our plans and our programs lead to spiritual progress.
Spiritual progress unceasingly sought and savored enables us to ensure spiritual accountability to our own conscience, to our Lord and Master, our God and Guru, our Beloved Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
The result is Sai Ideal Leadership in the highest sense.
Each of us, as devotees of our Beloved Swami, can become a “Sai Ideal Leader”. Through the diligent application of faith and determination, we can realize the spiritual purpose of our human lives and experience fulfillment of that purpose. We can realize and experience Atma, Divine Self. By so doing, we achieve the ultimate and absolute reality of Sai Ideal Leadership, indeed of human life. We become Sai exemplars, lights of love, wisdom, and virtue in a world that is in dire straits.
That is Sai Ideal Leadership in the highest sense.
The Sai Ideal Leader is an exemplar of noble character and selfless love. He or she is a beacon of light in the world. We must go deeply within. Find self. Ourself. The self to which our Beloved Swami so often refers when He declares, “You are not this body. You are not this mind. You are Atma. You are Self!” Let us be ever mindful of Swami’s words throughout this conference.
First and foremost, Swami has instructed us to focus on our inner spiritual development. That is Sai Ideal Leadership. We must lead ourselves. Lead our worldly, diminutive, ephemeral selves to the realization of our genuine, eternal Divine selves.
That is Sai Ideal Leadership in the highest sense.
During this conference, let us adopt an “otherworldly” frame of mind. All of the practical considerations on this agenda are dwarfed in importance by the need for all of us to seriously apply ourselves to the very purpose of our lives. During these special days in this special holy place, we must concentrate and apply ourselves. Let each and everyone of us, alone and within, focus on spiritual redemption, alone and within, contemplate our knowledge and experience of spiritual truth, alone and within experience our transcendental self. To the extent that we are successful, insights will come, solutions will appear, selfless love will abound. Swami will be pleased! Indeed, He will be very pleased! He will be Present!
II. DIVINE INSPIRATION: SAI IDEAL LEADER – SPIRITUAL EXEMPLAR
A. Consider and discuss how to transcend the constant lure and beckoning of the world and our reflexive response to temptations that soon become habits and subsequently our way of life. We want detachment from mind and body to the extent that we transcend ego and desire with discrimination. Nevertheless, there is a need for us to utilize mind and body in the world to become exemplars of selfless love and service. “Hands in the city, heads in the forest!” How do we achieve balance between detachment from mind and body and total, loving immersion in all that we do? This equilibrium is a prerequisite for Sai Ideal Leadership.
B. Consider and discuss all spiritual programs and practices recommended by Swami (individual and/or organizational) for all people. Consider and discuss what practices you have selected for yourself based on where you are spiritually and the rationale for your choices. Good choices and discrimination of spiritual programs and practices for each of us individually lead to spiritual progress. This discrimination is a prerequisite for Sai Ideal Leadership.
C. Consider and discuss how our spiritual discipline(s) should enhance, not detract, from our happy, loving, effective personal, family, and professional lives. It is helpful for each of us to review our thoughts and our actions, our habits and inclinations, and our daily activities. Then we can wisely determine what should stay and what should go, or if some changes are necessary. Consider this and/or other means of making an assessment of our daily thoughts and actions. Consider how to improve our individual spiritual programs, the programs of the Sai Organization, and the quality of our lives. Our spiritual programs and our personal, family, and professional relationships must be synergistic, not antagonistic.
This is a prerequisite for Sai Ideal Leadership.
D. Consider and discuss what spiritual programs and practices of this organization enable, facilitate, and enhance spiritual transformation in us? What, if anything, should be added? What, if anything, should be eliminated. What can we do to improve the spiritual authenticity and depth of our current organization programs and practices.
E. Other comments, recommendations, questions.
II. DIVINE INSTRUCTION:
Swami’s last instructions to the International Sri Sathya Sai Organization – The Decisions of World Conference IX were presented to and approved by Swami.
After part II above, you must have all applied yourselves to a self-inventory, and considered your personal programs. You have eliminated equivocation, and replaced it with discrimination and resolve. You will have considered all our Sai Organization Programs and Practices as they relate to our lives and the world and how to improve them, or remove them, and/or add new programs to enhance our spiritual development.
Now we must ensure that we genuinely understand the Spiritual Principles that Swami has given on all important matters relating to the Sai Organization. We must ensure that our programs and practices are authentic and pure representations of these Divine Principles. We must eliminate the disparity between thought, word and deed in our organization. Let us be true, faithful, loving devotees of our Beloved Swami. He resides in our hearts and is everywhere always watching and waiting for us to find Him and to merge in Him.
Consider and discuss the following organizational decisions from World Conference IX last November which were subsequently blessed and approved by our Beloved Swami.
A. Draft new guidelines which will be uniform internationally but sensitive to the laws of each country. A committee of senior office bearers has been designated and is near completion of the task. Your objective is to consider and discuss the implementation of these guidelines. These guidelines will include, but not be limited to:
1. Programs and practices engaged in by the International Sri Sathya Sai Organization
2. The duties, method for selection, and term of all office bearers at Center and national levels
3. The relationships and responsibilities of all branches/wings of the International Sai Organization
B. New Programs
1. Study circle on the Universality of Sai Message as it relates to religion, culture, spirituality, national laws. Special attention will be given to cultural relevance of our Sai Center Programs and Practices. Format for these study circles will be disseminated internationally
2. Develop general template for Sai public meetings at Sai Center, regional and national levels with printed and visual material that will be distributed to all Sai Centers. Materials will accurately depict His Life, His Message, His Works. Meetings at national and international levels will utilize the materials and adapt them to the laws and culture of their respective countries.
3. Young Adult Apprenticeship Program. Discuss and consider the structure of this program now approved by our Beloved Swami so that Young Adults derive greatest benefit and the objective is accomplished: Preparing Young Adults to fulfill the responsibilities of leadership in the future as Sai Ideal Leaders.
IV. SAI YOUNG ADULTS - SAI IDEAL LEADERS OF THE FUTURE
A. Young Adults
Collectively, Sai Young Adults constitute an important “stratum” of the International Sri Sathya Sai Organization. The wings of the Sai Organization are comprised of the three-fold spiritual pathways to self-realization: Devotion, Education (Wisdom), and Service. Neither chronology (age) nor gender (sex) denote a spiritual path. Therefore, we do not require separate wings for youth or ladies. Addition of additional wings might, in some situations be expedient, but we should avoid unnecessary proliferation of bureaucracy and separation of groups of people.
Regarding the Young Adults, we have formed an International Young Adult Council that convenes annually in Prasanthi Nilayam in November. The Young Adult Council members are in contact with their respective constituencies. There are senior Young Adult advisers in all countries where there is a need. There is no need for a separate youth wing. The older devotees need the infusion of the idealism and vigor of the Young Adults. Would you segregate yourselves and deny them the joy and upliftment of your company? That would be selfish. Conversely, would you segregate yourselves and preclude the opportunity to learn from the wisdom and experience of the senior devotees? That would be foolish. Please consider and discuss the current structure and how it might be improved. All are one!
B. Special Activities
Consider and discuss possible spiritually constructive activities, their execution and administration. While separate wing is not formed, nevertheless special Young Adult Activities or special activities for ladies groups are condoned when warranted and constructive. The plan for such an activity should be reviewed and approved by the appropriate senior officer at Center, National , or International level prior to implementation. Please consider and discuss possible young adult spiritually constructive activities, their execution, and administration. Please keep in mind that being inclusive is being gracious. Being exclusive is being aloof. A Sai Event is a spiritual event, the most important part of which is to invoke His Presence and Please Him with our selfless love and service.
C. Information, Skills, Administration, Management
Consider and discuss what should be a function of the Sri Sathya Sai Ideal Spiritual Organization and what necessary mundane information, skills, techniques should be acquired outside of our Organization.
It is helpful to develop the necessary skills through instruction and workshops for officers at all levels: Centre, National, and International. Thereby we learn to become competent Sai Leaders. These are lessons to be learned from the experience of others.
It is essential to become inspiring and exemplary Sai leaders through individual spiritual practices: selfless love and service, prayer, devotion, meditation, study. These are the lessons to be learned from our own spiritual hearts.
We should understand the distinction between competent and exemplary, between instruction and inspiration. It is important to develop the necessary administrative and technical knowledge and skill in order to conduct our meetings, programs, projects, or events in a spiritual, austere, and competent manner befitting a Sai meeting, program, or event. This might entail training, classes, workshops in various management, administrative, and technical information and skills for officers at all levels of the Sai Organization: Sai Center level, National level, and International level. Sai Discrimination should determine whether it is a mundane and material skill that can be acquired outside the Sai Organization or whether it has aspects and implications that require Sai Organization to develop the training.
The Sai Organization is a Spiritual Organization. In some matters it might be best that we provide some forms of training in skills that are intrinsic to our spiritual programs and practice if we have the capacity to do so. However, in most mundane matters it should not be function of the Sai Organization. In many of the management and administration programs that are currently popular, mediocrity becomes institutionalized. We must be careful not to dilute our mission, our philosophy, and our concentration on spiritual goals, by engaging in unnecessary training or workshops that entail skills and information commonly available and which are only parenthetically related to our spiritual function.
We are devotees of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, members of the Sai Ideal Spiritual Organization, dedicated to the realization of our spiritual heritage and that of our brothers and sisters everywhere. Let’s avoid unnecessary digressions and focus on the Light of Love that our Beloved Swami has illuminated before us.
V. CONCLUSION
Dearest Sai Young Adults, we love, respect, and need you and your wholehearted participation in all plans and development for the future of the International Sri Sathya Sai Organization. You are the future! We are one family. We love, revere, and worship our Divine Mother and Father, our Beloved Swami. We need Him, yearn for Him, but know in our hearts that He is with us now and always will be. Let us feel His Nearness and His Dearness and rejoice.
Lovingly in the Service of Sai,
Michael Goldstein
Chairman
__________________________________________
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Sai Ram!
Welcome to the Sri Sathya Sai International Young Adult Conference.
We are a group of spiritual aspirants following the light of God. Our Beloved Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is the light of God. He is the source of Truth and Love. He is the Divine Indweller in the hearts of all people forevermore.
I. INTRODUCTION
Spiritual principles must prevail in our lives, in our organization, in all programs, practices, conferences and actions, personal and organizational. Management administers observation of rules. Conscience administers adherence to spiritual principles.
Spiritual principles are God given and, if faithfully practiced, lead to spiritual authenticity.
Spiritual authenticity in our words and deeds, our plans and our programs lead to spiritual progress.
Spiritual progress unceasingly sought and savored enables us to ensure spiritual accountability to our own conscience, to our Lord and Master, our God and Guru, our Beloved Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
The result is Sai Ideal Leadership in the highest sense.
Each of us, as devotees of our Beloved Swami, can become a “Sai Ideal Leader”. Through the diligent application of faith and determination, we can realize the spiritual purpose of our human lives and experience fulfillment of that purpose. We can realize and experience Atma, Divine Self. By so doing, we achieve the ultimate and absolute reality of Sai Ideal Leadership, indeed of human life. We become Sai exemplars, lights of love, wisdom, and virtue in a world that is in dire straits.
That is Sai Ideal Leadership in the highest sense.
The Sai Ideal Leader is an exemplar of noble character and selfless love. He or she is a beacon of light in the world. We must go deeply within. Find self. Ourself. The self to which our Beloved Swami so often refers when He declares, “You are not this body. You are not this mind. You are Atma. You are Self!” Let us be ever mindful of Swami’s words throughout this conference.
First and foremost, Swami has instructed us to focus on our inner spiritual development. That is Sai Ideal Leadership. We must lead ourselves. Lead our worldly, diminutive, ephemeral selves to the realization of our genuine, eternal Divine selves.
That is Sai Ideal Leadership in the highest sense.
During this conference, let us adopt an “otherworldly” frame of mind. All of the practical considerations on this agenda are dwarfed in importance by the need for all of us to seriously apply ourselves to the very purpose of our lives. During these special days in this special holy place, we must concentrate and apply ourselves. Let each and everyone of us, alone and within, focus on spiritual redemption, alone and within, contemplate our knowledge and experience of spiritual truth, alone and within experience our transcendental self. To the extent that we are successful, insights will come, solutions will appear, selfless love will abound. Swami will be pleased! Indeed, He will be very pleased! He will be Present!
II. DIVINE INSPIRATION: SAI IDEAL LEADER – SPIRITUAL EXEMPLAR
A. Consider and discuss how to transcend the constant lure and beckoning of the world and our reflexive response to temptations that soon become habits and subsequently our way of life. We want detachment from mind and body to the extent that we transcend ego and desire with discrimination. Nevertheless, there is a need for us to utilize mind and body in the world to become exemplars of selfless love and service. “Hands in the city, heads in the forest!” How do we achieve balance between detachment from mind and body and total, loving immersion in all that we do? This equilibrium is a prerequisite for Sai Ideal Leadership.
B. Consider and discuss all spiritual programs and practices recommended by Swami (individual and/or organizational) for all people. Consider and discuss what practices you have selected for yourself based on where you are spiritually and the rationale for your choices. Good choices and discrimination of spiritual programs and practices for each of us individually lead to spiritual progress. This discrimination is a prerequisite for Sai Ideal Leadership.
C. Consider and discuss how our spiritual discipline(s) should enhance, not detract, from our happy, loving, effective personal, family, and professional lives. It is helpful for each of us to review our thoughts and our actions, our habits and inclinations, and our daily activities. Then we can wisely determine what should stay and what should go, or if some changes are necessary. Consider this and/or other means of making an assessment of our daily thoughts and actions. Consider how to improve our individual spiritual programs, the programs of the Sai Organization, and the quality of our lives. Our spiritual programs and our personal, family, and professional relationships must be synergistic, not antagonistic.
This is a prerequisite for Sai Ideal Leadership.
D. Consider and discuss what spiritual programs and practices of this organization enable, facilitate, and enhance spiritual transformation in us? What, if anything, should be added? What, if anything, should be eliminated. What can we do to improve the spiritual authenticity and depth of our current organization programs and practices.
E. Other comments, recommendations, questions.
II. DIVINE INSTRUCTION:
Swami’s last instructions to the International Sri Sathya Sai Organization – The Decisions of World Conference IX were presented to and approved by Swami.
After part II above, you must have all applied yourselves to a self-inventory, and considered your personal programs. You have eliminated equivocation, and replaced it with discrimination and resolve. You will have considered all our Sai Organization Programs and Practices as they relate to our lives and the world and how to improve them, or remove them, and/or add new programs to enhance our spiritual development.
Now we must ensure that we genuinely understand the Spiritual Principles that Swami has given on all important matters relating to the Sai Organization. We must ensure that our programs and practices are authentic and pure representations of these Divine Principles. We must eliminate the disparity between thought, word and deed in our organization. Let us be true, faithful, loving devotees of our Beloved Swami. He resides in our hearts and is everywhere always watching and waiting for us to find Him and to merge in Him.
Consider and discuss the following organizational decisions from World Conference IX last November which were subsequently blessed and approved by our Beloved Swami.
A. Draft new guidelines which will be uniform internationally but sensitive to the laws of each country. A committee of senior office bearers has been designated and is near completion of the task. Your objective is to consider and discuss the implementation of these guidelines. These guidelines will include, but not be limited to:
1. Programs and practices engaged in by the International Sri Sathya Sai Organization
2. The duties, method for selection, and term of all office bearers at Center and national levels
3. The relationships and responsibilities of all branches/wings of the International Sai Organization
B. New Programs
1. Study circle on the Universality of Sai Message as it relates to religion, culture, spirituality, national laws. Special attention will be given to cultural relevance of our Sai Center Programs and Practices. Format for these study circles will be disseminated internationally
2. Develop general template for Sai public meetings at Sai Center, regional and national levels with printed and visual material that will be distributed to all Sai Centers. Materials will accurately depict His Life, His Message, His Works. Meetings at national and international levels will utilize the materials and adapt them to the laws and culture of their respective countries.
3. Young Adult Apprenticeship Program. Discuss and consider the structure of this program now approved by our Beloved Swami so that Young Adults derive greatest benefit and the objective is accomplished: Preparing Young Adults to fulfill the responsibilities of leadership in the future as Sai Ideal Leaders.
IV. SAI YOUNG ADULTS - SAI IDEAL LEADERS OF THE FUTURE
A. Young Adults
Collectively, Sai Young Adults constitute an important “stratum” of the International Sri Sathya Sai Organization. The wings of the Sai Organization are comprised of the three-fold spiritual pathways to self-realization: Devotion, Education (Wisdom), and Service. Neither chronology (age) nor gender (sex) denote a spiritual path. Therefore, we do not require separate wings for youth or ladies. Addition of additional wings might, in some situations be expedient, but we should avoid unnecessary proliferation of bureaucracy and separation of groups of people.
Regarding the Young Adults, we have formed an International Young Adult Council that convenes annually in Prasanthi Nilayam in November. The Young Adult Council members are in contact with their respective constituencies. There are senior Young Adult advisers in all countries where there is a need. There is no need for a separate youth wing. The older devotees need the infusion of the idealism and vigor of the Young Adults. Would you segregate yourselves and deny them the joy and upliftment of your company? That would be selfish. Conversely, would you segregate yourselves and preclude the opportunity to learn from the wisdom and experience of the senior devotees? That would be foolish. Please consider and discuss the current structure and how it might be improved. All are one!
B. Special Activities
Consider and discuss possible spiritually constructive activities, their execution and administration. While separate wing is not formed, nevertheless special Young Adult Activities or special activities for ladies groups are condoned when warranted and constructive. The plan for such an activity should be reviewed and approved by the appropriate senior officer at Center, National , or International level prior to implementation. Please consider and discuss possible young adult spiritually constructive activities, their execution, and administration. Please keep in mind that being inclusive is being gracious. Being exclusive is being aloof. A Sai Event is a spiritual event, the most important part of which is to invoke His Presence and Please Him with our selfless love and service.
C. Information, Skills, Administration, Management
Consider and discuss what should be a function of the Sri Sathya Sai Ideal Spiritual Organization and what necessary mundane information, skills, techniques should be acquired outside of our Organization.
It is helpful to develop the necessary skills through instruction and workshops for officers at all levels: Centre, National, and International. Thereby we learn to become competent Sai Leaders. These are lessons to be learned from the experience of others.
It is essential to become inspiring and exemplary Sai leaders through individual spiritual practices: selfless love and service, prayer, devotion, meditation, study. These are the lessons to be learned from our own spiritual hearts.
We should understand the distinction between competent and exemplary, between instruction and inspiration. It is important to develop the necessary administrative and technical knowledge and skill in order to conduct our meetings, programs, projects, or events in a spiritual, austere, and competent manner befitting a Sai meeting, program, or event. This might entail training, classes, workshops in various management, administrative, and technical information and skills for officers at all levels of the Sai Organization: Sai Center level, National level, and International level. Sai Discrimination should determine whether it is a mundane and material skill that can be acquired outside the Sai Organization or whether it has aspects and implications that require Sai Organization to develop the training.
The Sai Organization is a Spiritual Organization. In some matters it might be best that we provide some forms of training in skills that are intrinsic to our spiritual programs and practice if we have the capacity to do so. However, in most mundane matters it should not be function of the Sai Organization. In many of the management and administration programs that are currently popular, mediocrity becomes institutionalized. We must be careful not to dilute our mission, our philosophy, and our concentration on spiritual goals, by engaging in unnecessary training or workshops that entail skills and information commonly available and which are only parenthetically related to our spiritual function.
We are devotees of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, members of the Sai Ideal Spiritual Organization, dedicated to the realization of our spiritual heritage and that of our brothers and sisters everywhere. Let’s avoid unnecessary digressions and focus on the Light of Love that our Beloved Swami has illuminated before us.
V. CONCLUSION
Dearest Sai Young Adults, we love, respect, and need you and your wholehearted participation in all plans and development for the future of the International Sri Sathya Sai Organization. You are the future! We are one family. We love, revere, and worship our Divine Mother and Father, our Beloved Swami. We need Him, yearn for Him, but know in our hearts that He is with us now and always will be. Let us feel His Nearness and His Dearness and rejoice.
Lovingly in the Service of Sai,
Michael Goldstein
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