I woke up Laughing

You know, I've thought all along that I wasn't living up to His teachings here in the States. I mean, 30+ years of His teachings and all I do is bring a few smiles to the wrinkled faces around here by my sweet singing. It makes me happy to sing but...come on, there must be another purpose to life.

This morning I realized it, I connected the dots; it's the U U church! Let me explain a few things. The church service consists of, ringing the Tibetan brass bowl to, I guess, clear the atmosphere, then to mark the gathering of the community and to remind us of the divine spark within us all, a chalice is lit as a symbol of Unitarian Univeralism. Then there is the sermon, choir sings an anthem, an offering is taken and a few hymns are sung. After that they do what they call,' Candles of joy, sorrow and transition. either silently or with brief sharing, marking those joys or sorrows or transitions you are personally experiencing in your life at this time, in the spirit of communal prayer and support, you are invited to come forward and light a candle. The minister stands at the base of the alter with an 'open mic' and a line of people talk to the audience about whatever they feel strongly about. HAH!! Swami's teachings to a whole church full of pretty intelligent older people who are kind of activists in society. WHAT A CHANCE TO TELL THE WORLD OF HIS VALUES AND TEACHINGS.

I haven't done it yet, just thought of it this morning...which is why I rose from my bed...laughing. OK let me explain a couple of other things. When I first got back to the States I thought of making 'Sai Graduates' a radio program on U Stream. I am absolutely retarded when it comes to computer stuff but I did manage this blog thanks to my dear programmer in Chenai. But I was sort of planning an alternative Sai Center for westerners who like to do stuff in English. I thought there should be a study group also during which we could connect Swami's teachings with our daily lives here in the USA, you know, 'waiting in super market lines' and stuff like that. So I ordered Roof's books from the Tustin book store...'Pathways to God' and I even read some of the books and realized they were really great, expressing beautifully in English Swami's teachings..and then I put them aside so I could work on this blog and face book.!

This morning I realized that by reading even just a few paragraphs from those books into the UU mic, I was sending Swami's teachings right straight into the world...straight into the world without any secondary interpretation...except Roof who is very bright and I think he was the convenor or something of...Prasanthi Counsel or something, wasn't he? I'm not good with these worldly facts! Anyway I trust him and I believe Swami blessed him and these books.

OK in the third place, President Obama just yesterday said that he personally accepted the idea of same sex marriage. This is a major game changer and opens the issue of personal morality in our society. I think same sex marriage is wonderful but that gays must uphold traditional values of fidelity and loyalty in their unions. So I looked up 'morality' in Roof's book and found my first sermon.

Roof says, 'The means to cultivate moral strength is selfless love. When we recognize that the same divinity resides in others as resides in ourselves we refrain from selfish action. By expanding our vision o encompass all (within the Atma) we are unable to hurt others. Love is the basis for the preservation and growth of society.

Swami concludes by saying...'Morality has to be grown in the heart by feeding it with love; then only can we have justice, security, law and order. If love declines among people, nations will weaken and mankind will perish.'

So you see, I will be reading His teachings to a church full of elitists, intellectuals, not to the already converted like at Prasanthi Nilayam . Who knows where this might lead! Maybe every Sunday I will be able to lend a voice to Swami's words, in fact...maybe we can all do this work! There are UU churches all over the country. Do each use this ritual? Are there open mics in each church just waiting for Swami's words to teach the American public?! My Gosh, He asked those MRI's those thousands of Indian Americans, 'Where are the Americans?' not a year before He left His 'bony cage' Could it be that this will bring the intelligent Americans to listen to Swami's values? Ok, I can feel myself climbing higher and higher on my bi-polar pole but...just maybe WE CAN CONVERT THE WORLD TO HIS VALUES AND ACTUALY DO SOME GOOD.

So take the phone book and look up, Unitarian Universalist churches and INFILTRATE THEM. Take the mic, Children of Sathya Sai, tell the world about the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba...we can do this because..WE ARE THE SAME AS SAI...WE ARE GOD, SATCHITANANDA!!!!!

I'll be alright after I have another cup of coffee.