Sai Ram Everyone Feb 22 2011

About last June a large group of American NRI's were asked by the Lord, 'where are the Americans.?'

I was just back from 30 years in India and was feeling sad and dislocated. I had not felt particularly happy with the local Center so I wrote a letter to the Lord with a few suggestions concerning English Bhajans the use of our American society to for Study Group experience.

The center started using more English songs and an American fellow led the Study group. No ladies though, of course.

Because of my many health issues I pretty much stopped going to the Center but I continued to feel that Swami wanted me to help in some way.

Meantime I began doing a blog, Sai Graduates.blospot.com for those of us caught in the group who were asked to leave India. I suggested in the blog that His Ashram was here and there and everywhere and that we should see the Atma in people in the supermarkrt. This blog has been going off and on for 9 months now and a little group has formed mostly of those of us who have found Swami to be in our hearts as well as on the Verandah.

That brought up the idea of an on-line newsletter perhaps as further comfort to those of us displaced by the policies of the Indian government.

At first I thought about a splinter group, an All American group but Swami believes whole heartedly in unity and we wouldn't want to interfere with the welfare of the centers nor could we.

Because of the blog I have accumulated maybe 30 emails which would be enough. What about content you ask. Well I've sort of drawn up a rough draft.

American Sai Graduates News letter

March 2011

Part A Astotra (simply 108 names) for chanting each day

Part B Swami quote of the day (use Heart to Heart)

English song like, english prayer, 'Oh Lord take my love'

Part C Study Group based on Roof's books

English song like, 'Sai you are.....'

Part D News like, who is going to India, coming back, doing projects, in hospital having births and birthdays and dying.

Editorial by anyone on being a Sai Devotee in USA

Part E Events like retreats or seminaries, Shivaratri groups

Shiva songs translated into English too

Part F Omnipresent Sai. Meaning of the eternal Om

song 'Omnipresent Sai'

Part G Children's Corner....we could use the book, Astotra and do one Name

per month with lesson plan and song

Part H Holy chanting of English translation of the Rudram, a section each month

Maybe the 23th psalm

Sai Ram Everyone

About last year 0r so a large group of Floridian Sai Devotees visited Swami. He evidentially asked them about Americans. "Where are the Americans?"I think He asked.

I was feeling sad and displaced since leaving my real home, India so I wrote to the Lord. making a few suggestions about American Sai Centers.

When I attended the Center again for Christmas, I found the changes has been made. So even though I could feel Swami nudging me to stay with the project, and because of health issues, I forgot about the Center. I had been in favor or more English songs sung from the heart, a study group pertaining to our society and more of an emphasis on Brotherhood.

I had been thinking of an alternative center where Americans could feel comfortable, or a separate study group based on, 'Ceiling on Desires' We could call it, 'Sathya Sai Multi Faith Society but it didn't seem right. We know that Swami believes so much in unity. So anyway, since I was already doing a blog, SaiGraduates.blogspot.com, I thought we could do sort of a newsletter and call it - American Sai Graduate Newsletter and just send it to 20 or 30 people each month hoping people would contribute, through just how I haven't thought yet.

So that is the current plan. Please let me know if, you like the idea, would contribue, have any more ideas. I'm open, Susan Caffery saisusanc@yahoo or sweetsaiself@gmail.com

Astral world

Got a book in the mail written by Bernice Mead about her son 'J' who has been in a coma for years. Very interesting and you can probably get it from the Sai Bookstore in Tuston. Evidently a lady who lives about 500 miles from them has been channeling 'J' all this time and we can read the letters in the book. It's fascinating and Swami has given encouragement perhaps to encourage Bernice who has been the leader of Sai Spiritual Education in America all these years.

The book has brought to my mind the astral worlds. It's funny that we think....that I think of the astral worlds so seldom. We think of the 'Absolute', that is we try to unplug our minds altogether so we aren't thinking at all....then I get scared and begin to worry about dementia. We are told to keep our minds active doing mind games and puzzles and socializing madly to 'use it and not lose it' to avoid dementia. I manage a 'sodoku' upon occaision but otherwise I'm nodding off more and more and meditation ends up in 'nappy time' pretty often. Where was I?

Oh yes, astral. What is it, where is it and should we care? Seems to me Swami encourged Issac Tigret and what's her name to meditate on the clouds over Russia....just before the new beginnning of Russia today, so must have worked. Was that the 'astral worlds' Should we try to disperse big dark things in the other worlds? Certainly not on our own and certainly not without His permission. Maybe we could try the more positive like keeping Egypt safe from harm now that it is a fledgling democracy. Just send good thoughts in their direction. Seems to me we should do that anyway and probably do.

Is the 'third eye' connected with the astral worlds? What about ghosts? My sister has seen our mother walzing around 1019 Jungle upon occaision but that may have been her own reflection as we're all mirrors anyway....of Swami. It gets complicated. Maybe Theosopy would have some answers....like Madamn Blavasky and those people' But I'm really only attached to our Swami and don't want to open another 'can of worms' not that Theosopy is at all wormy but I get nervous when I lose hold of His Feet.

What does Swami say about the Astral Worlds? It seems to me He has discouraged mediumship in astral worlds but I could be wrong. But if Swami is encouraging this 'channeling' thing there must be a reason. Perhaps it is time to get in touch with 'those astral world people' He told Goldstein to love the highjackers. Not the same I know but didn't he use his astral plaine energies to do that....plain not plane, in fact aren't we using these invisible energies of ours all the time. Swami's omnipresence and omnipotance and the other which I can never remember...are astral aren't they as well as physical. And He has been speaking lately of our becoming aware of OWN omnipresence. I think I really never left my India in fact people have seen me walking those holy, and unholy roads . Perhaps we are all walking several roads at the same time even now but are not aware of it. Perhaps we should open up a bit and become more aware of the astral in our everyday lives. After all, Swami is there too. Maybe this is a prelude to our opening third eye, we Sai Graduates are becoming enlightened.

Prasanthi Nilayam Updates for Non-Indian Visitors and Residents

Dear Sai Baba Devotees,

OM SAI RAM

We, in Parthi, are enjoying pleasantly warm days, pleasantly cool nights, and beautifully loving Darshans of Our Lord Sai, looking hale .

For those devotees who normally take their Darshan standing up outside, note that the men's side is currently being cordoned off until after Baba arrives (usually by car).

Foreign devotees working in Sai Baba Trusts (including the hospitals), have informed me that they have been requested to obtain Employment Visas.

This directive apparently came from the Central Trust who said it came from Delhi.

Foreigners doing seva work for an NGO (Non Governmental Organization), might wish to research the new Indian Visa Law (June 2010), to be sure of requirements.

Reports of devotees being asked for visa and passport paperwork inside Ashram facilities(including hospitals) are becoming common, and people have found it useful to have a photocopy of same with them .

We are preparing to usher in the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit with lively and colorful programs.

Sai love and all His blessings of peace and happiness to you.

Margot A. Hoagland,

Warden, ACS
Puttaparthi Area,
In Sai Service

To Be One or Two

Yesterday morning I began thinking about maybe meeting someone. Decided it would be insane. Yes, I seem to be reaching out don't I, and blogging along again. Then this morning I decided I just might get well and could 'get a life'. Mama was 99 when she said, 'all right, I'm ready' and went. That would give me another 20 or so years. Could I live here alone in this reclusive apartment for 20 years? How could I....unless of course I were either 'with' someone or 'enlightened' Enlightened would be better.

I really thought about it. The person would have to be a Sai Devotee and love me. I would also love them but then that's never hard for me. I thought about cooking vegetarian together, laughing together, maybe traveling back and forth to India together, opening our hearts together, etc. and suddenly as I thought deeply about it I realized that even now I had to move my Swami back a little to let this pretend person in. Maybe I could not move Swami back at all but just put the pretend person in back of Swami. I know that I'm not like that though, even pretend people always come first.

So how close should the Lord be now anyway? He is always the same, at the same distance. '0' If we remained one, then no problem. If He is just....right in my face and I reach for Him that's Ok but if He's a little further away...although He is always the same, it feels awful. Can you see that? Pretty subtle. So if I included a 'significant other' in the picture, where is Swami? I belong to Swami but could I belong to someone else too? “I'm being silly” I thought. How many partners, husbands and wives with good strong marriages, love Swami with all their hearts? Isn't love a magic substance which just multiplies more and more when given away. We certainly read about that property of 'love' all the time don't we. In fact almost everyone I know is married. But He is my Beloved. We 'beloveds' seem to be different.

Then my 'Swami thoughts' started. “Don't worry about it. You're planning again and I thought you weren't going to do that. If you are going to be 'loved' by someone, you have to love yourself. Why don't you work on this part and let me handle everything else.

Yes that's it, I'll fall in love with myself for a change and then I'll suddenly realize that... Swami and I ...Ok I know this line of reasoning hasn't worked with me in the past. Is it because I haven't loved myself ENOUGH. I doubt that! We've all met people who loved them Selves enough for a dozen people. Egomaniacs, no danger of that here. Ah but which self am I referring to anyway? You can't love your real Self too much.

But here I am off the subject. I've left behind the new topic of 'significant others' to dwell again on the topic of Self orAtma. Oh well, it was such a bore anyway besides just being imaginary. There isn't anything except Atma anyway and this 'other' is totally imagination. So who brought this subject up anyway? I'm going back to bed, it isn't even 6 am!

Yes I am going to tell the whole world!

Amma,because the beauty of your love is so magnificent.


Every mornning I watch as you approach Lord Shiva so quietly wearing your charcoal gray cloaks. It is still so dark and you, the sky is still invisable.

As your light comes, the whip cream swirls of dark grey clouds begin to delineate your form across the sky as to the east your pink petticoats begin to show. Soon, Lord Shiva's face, Tampa Bay, begins to quiver and waken.

The cloak is gone, thrust off as the tumble of pink pettycoats balloon out over the bay arousing the Lord to the start of a new day of love making. Ah, then the bright red satin dress of dawn appears to decorate the entire bay in her arraignment. I should turn my face away now as the two, Shiva and the cosmic Mother cavort across the bay lighting the sky with her red energy. But of course I am entranced and cannot miss even a moment of the awakening day. The lavender clouds scurry to protect the divine forms from the prying eyes of earth but soon even these pull apart revealing the glory of the throbbing Shiva and Queen Shakthi embracing across the bay of Tampa.

Now the brightness of red and crimson satin blazes forth in advance of the glorious sun, Lord Vishnu just below the horizon of the sky as it turns into the Mother's day dress of sky blue. White fluffy designs are at her neck and accross her bosom. Shiva who is usually invisable is now a wide silver streak as Lord Vishnu, rises slowly in the east. Mother Lalitha pulls the covers over the marrage bed as Lord Vishnu's rising glory beams forth, shining brightly and the new day has begun.


Aim Tripura Devi Vidmahe

Kleem Kameshwarya Dimahee

Sau Tanna Klini Prachotana


Most beautiful of the three worlds

Amba, please shower me with your compassion

Creatrix of the beauty everywhere

Amba, you are all the mothers in the world

Victory to the Mothers everywhere

For each is the soul of Lalitha

Mother who resides in Puttaparthi

Won't you purify our hearts, Mother Sai