Christmas

Sai Ram,

The weather has turned a bit cooler even with the sun shining. It is still great here. People have started to come for the holidays. Registration for Christmas Choir is December 14th. Some people from Croatia and surrounding area are continuing their practise as they are performing on the 20th and will also start decorating the ashram on the 21st.





Friday – December 9 to Tuesday – December 13. There was Rudram, bhajans, arathi and darshan both morning and evening.

A time schedule for ashram activities and shops was released. There have been some changes.

Attached is a wonderful interview, ”Bewitched By His Love” with Mrs. Prema Bose who knew Baba for many decades. Separately there are many pictures from her interview. I am not sure if she took them or they were from RadioSai archives.

There is also another article by Kasturi, “Is This Your Faith After all”.

If you go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owK5tHjL0aE , there is a funny Indian version of the “12 Days of Christmas”.

We had difficulty learning yoga so we enrolled in a Dog Yoga class. Attached are pictures of my classmates doing yoga.

Seema messages for this week are: “The Heart of God”, “Moment to Moment in Prayer” and Remaking of the Self”.

Thought for the Day
10 December 2011

Your worthiness is not measured by the number of temples you have visited, or the quantity and cost of the offerings you have made there. Do not calculate the length of time you have spent with the Lord's Name and exult; calculate rather the time you have wasted away from the Lord, and repent. How did Mother Sita in the epic Ramayana brave the taunts, insults and tortures of the aggressors in Lanka? What gave her the mental stamina? It was repetition of the Name of the Lord and nothing else. Always remember that desire, anger, greed and hatred can never co-exist with Divinity. A tasty dish will become inedible, if a drop of kerosene falls on it. One bad thought or action is sufficient to spoil the spiritual discipline, built painstakingly over time. Have the Divine Name ever in your thoughts and you can brave any calamity.

Baba

Thought for the Day
6th December 2011

Happiness makes one forget one's obligations to oneself as a human being. It drags one into egoism leading to committing of sins. Happiness draws a veil over experiences that make one tough. It also spends out one's stock of merit and arouses baser passions. On the other hand, grief renders man alert and watchful. Misery makes one think and leads to self-improvement. It also endows one with new and valuable experiences, and highlights the value of happiness. Realize that happiness and misery are inseparable and you cannot choose only one. Treat troubles and travails as your friends; at least, do not see them as your enemies! It is best to regard both happiness and misery as gifts of God. That is the easiest path for one's own liberation.

Baba

Thought for the Day
30th December 2010

You should not waste your life in merely eating, drinking, and sleeping. In fact such a life is a blot on human nature itself. Every activity of yours should reflect the divine message. Unfortunately, this is not the case today. Some people claim that they have dedicated their lives to the mission of God. But in reality it is not so. They are wasting their precious time in materialistic pursuits. There is nothing wrong in studying, doing jobs, and earning money provided they are done in the right spirit, which is beneficial to one and all. You see many people suffering. In what way are you helping them? The dualities of life such as pain and pleasure go hand in hand. Pain and pleasure coexist. It is impossible to separate them. Pleasure does not exist separately. The fructification of pain is pleasure. This message of truth must be taught to the entire world. Without pain, one does not realise the value of pleasure. The value of light can be realised only when there is darkness.

Baba