"Annual Edition 2010"

For Free Private Circulation Only

Sri Sathya Sai University Alumni Newsletter Quarterly Publication

Dear Reader,

Sairam! With our deepest love and gratitude, we offer the 2010 Annual Edition of Vidyullekha at Bhagawan's Lotus

Feet. The busy stories of our lives mingle together most joyously at His Lotus Feet on New Year day. Like tiny streams eventually reach the ocean, our life stories must also trace their paths back to Him.

Our in this issue looks back on the evolution of the Alumni Meet into the wonderful event Bhagawan has made it for us.

recollects memorable instances of words spoken by Bhagawan to alumni from wonderful moments in their lives. Words that stream through the folds of time, reminding us of the majesty of God's power.

takes you on a walk along a beautiful bower of memories. We hope you read these experiences as an extract from your own journal, converting intensely personal memories into a shared experience of love.

We carry a special feature titled - our tribute to and recognition of the immense impact our teachers have had on our thinking and our lives. An alumnus shares his recollections of Prof. D.S. Habbu, the first Principal of the Higher Secondary School, who merged with Bhagawan's Lotus Feet this year. We also carry the views and advice of senior professors for alumni, and are grateful they took out time to share their thoughts with us in this issue.

As always, carries snippets of heartfelt seva activity undertaken by alumni across the globe this year. By no means is this an exhaustive list! There are many stories we have not been able to carry for want to detail, information, knowledge and space. If you know of, or are engaged in seva that has not been featured here –please do contact us at mail@saistudents.org. In the coming year, we will continue to strengthen our information networks so we can feature more heartwarming examples of alumni seva.

How happy we feel in reminding ourselves it is His love that makes the world go around! What energy He imparts to our souls, refreshing us from within! And how precious is the opportunity to renew this bond afresh at the Alumni Meet. Let us lose no opportunity to pray humbly for a place at His feet forever. Our inner joy and our ability to give of ourselves to society will only increase with each trip to His Lotus Feet!

With all our Prema

Cover Story

Bhagawan Uvaacha

From My Diary

Gratitude Corner

Love In Action

From Team Vidyullekha

lFrom Team Vidyullekha 03

lBhagawan Uvaacha 04

lGratitude Corner 07

lFrom My Diary 13

lCover Story 23

lLove in Action 30

Make the Right Connection

In the MBA program, I had a classmate who had joined the Institute upon his parents' recommendation. His parents were devotees but he was new to Swami and the ashram. One evening Swami came by that student, who was sitting in the first row. I was seated next him. Swami asked, “How are you?” The student answered, “Good, Swami”. After a while, Swami asked, “What do you want?” The student did not answer as he was not prepared for that question from Swami. Swami meanwhile asked another boy seated near a floral arrangement on the veranda to bring a flower to Him. That boy got a white jasmine flower and gave it to Swami. Swami kept that flower in the center of His right palm and asked the MBA student, “What is this?” The student answered, “A flower, Swami”. Then Swami asked, “What do you want this to be?” Again the student did not have an answer to Swami's question and remained silent. Getting no reply from the student, Swami closed His palm, blew thrice on it and opened His palm. The flower had turned into an Aum shaped pendant. Swami gave the pendant to that student. Swami then showed us His hand and said, “This hand can do anything. The whole world is in this hand. People go all over in search of friends. They make connections, and then ask for help from others. You should make your connection with Me. If you do that, you will make a connection

04

with the entire world. Don't go after the world. Come to Me and you will have the whole world.” That evening, this divine declaration made its way into my mind and heart. I fail miserably when I forget these words. And whenever I make the connection with Him, I get what I want without any extra effort. Over the years, I always strive to remain connected with Him.

In the year 1995, I was blessed to be in the interview room during a class interview for the third year undergraduate students. I had an opportunity to ask Swami a question. I asked Him, "Swami, How can we cultivate total faith in You?" Swami said, "There is nothing like partial faith. You either have it or you do not have it. One must cultivate steady faith like the tree-trunk which remains stable in spite of any strong wind and not like the leaves which flutter with even the slightest breeze. Trusting Swami when our desires are fulfilled and wavering when not is to become like the unsteady leaves that flutter in the breeze. Cultivate unflinching faith in Swami like the strong tree-trunk."

Swami is the embodiment of love. When He needs to correct someone, He does it in such a loving and subtle manner that the recipient gets a lesson and also an experience to treasure. I was blessed to be the recipient of one such lesson, which has become the

Be Strong, Like a Tree Trunk

Where Are You From?

05

memory of a lifetime. It was my first year in Swami's college, about two or three months into the first semester. During this early period, I saw Swami interacting – talking and joking with a few of His students. I was not one of them and I assumed that He really did not care for me. What ignorance! That particular day, my roommate was getting ready for darshan and he asked me to hurry up so that we could sit in the first row. I discouraged him, saying it really did not matter even if we sit in the first row since Swami wouldn't talk to us. My exact words to him were “Swami is not going to ask us - where are you from? (A question He normally would use to start a conversation with devotees or students). Swami says, “Good company is important, it helps to cultivate good qualities.” My roommate did not have good company in me on that day! I convinced him to go slow with my thoughtless remark. So, we both took our time to get ready for darshan. Swami had a lesson to teach me that day. Though we started late, by Swami's grace we both got to sit in the first row. And as soon as we sat down, Swami came out of His room, walked straight to where we were sitting and with a twinkle in His eye asked me, “Where are you from?”

Swami is the pivot around which my life revolves. I have learnt with humility that Swami touches our lives every day through

The Love of God for the Mother

Bhagawan Uvaacha showcases unforgettable words spoken by the Lord to alumni – words whose majesty shines through the mists of time and memory!

Sri Bhagawan UvaachaSri Bhagawan Uvaacha

people and situations. I have experienced His love and guidance through total strangers. Every rough patch, every scar, every poignant cry into an empty sky, every harsh loss, is when Swami shows us He is the only one with a comforting word, a gentle pat, an avenue of strength, a solution that we could not have dreamed of. Swami's manifestations in disguise are evocative of His boundless love and constant concern. After my graduation from Parthi, I went to Swami to ask permission to join the prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to pursue my PhD research. I was supposed to join the following day and Swami said, “No, not now- wait.” I found out that the professor I was supposed to report to for my PhD program was away and would return in a week. My monkey mind started working, I thought I have 11 more darshans where I could easily ask Swami to bless me. I was wrong. I got up 11 times during each of the following darshans, and each time, Swami said "No, wait". This was a turning point in my life. Studying in IISc was a dream for me but I heeded Swami's words and did not join the institution. In the following days, I literally followed Swami everywhere He went. Those months near Swami were the most joyful and blissful times of my life and my thoughts were constantly focused on Him. I used to think, if Swami takes my letter, I will go and join IISc but what if Swami says “No, wait?” This went on for six months. Then, one day my mother sent a letter asking me to come back home. I held this letter to Swami. Swami told me to go and stay with my mother and honor my

mother's wishes. I returned home and was able to serve my mother. She passed away after few years. I would not have been able to serve her well had I been at the IISc pursuing my research program. Swami's inimitable presence in our lives spurs us on to greater efforts to love and serve in our own little ways. Swami is the air we breathe, our muse, our inspiration, our white light in the darkness. Swami is everything to us. Everything. I remain inspired by these words of Swami, “Love seeks no reward. Love is its own reward.” Swami has said, “We are not born from the sky or the earth. We are born from the womb of our mother. It is only a person who wins the love of his mother that can earn the love of God.”

How often do we not find ourselves rolling back the years, to moments when we were deeply inspired by our teachers? At some point in our early years each one of us has sought the comfort of their wisdom, marvelled at their conviction in goodness, and prayed to preserve their inspiration within ourselves. This feature showcases the perspectives of wonderful role models so we benefit once more from connecting with them. This is also a heartfelt attempt to offer our gratitude to all our teachers, and humbly salute them for their selfless efforts in making us what we are today. This article is limited to only a few senior professors due to space constraints, but we will expand coverage and showcase views of more teachers in forthcoming issues.

Those who educate children well are more honoured than parents, for these only gave life, those the art of living well.

Q. What are your expectations from alumni? What

advice can you share?

“Alumni are members of the Sai family and thus are

protected and strengthened by Sai Himself. Hence it is

your duty to do whatever good you can without a second

thought. Make every attempt to enrich the name of your

alma-mater. Share the vision of the university, and act to

convert it to reality. Being brought up in the Sai system,

always maintain your connection with Bhagawan's

ideals.”

-Dr. CLN Murthy

Sanskrit Dept., Prasanthi Nilayam

“Take responsibility for small tasks in life initially;

inculcate the habit of acting with responsibility. Bigger,

nobler and divine tasks are coming your way. Perform

your work with love and devotion so it is transformed

into worship. The body, mind and one's life are the gift of

God. Utilize your capabilities and faculties for the

welfare of the society. Maintain moral, ethical and

spiritual standards in your lives and uplift the rich

culture of Bharat. It is very important to share the

ananda bestowed upon you by Bhagawan to people

around - especially the poor and downtrodden. Each Sai

student must be Swami's trustee at all times.

Also, always try to balance worldly comforts with your

- Albert Schweitzer - Aristotle

Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude about those who have kindled a spark within us, when our own light goes out.

06 07

Gratitude Corner Gratitude Corner

spiritual goals. Never lose sight of the ultimate goal and

always keep Bhagawan as a part of your life and

profession. Fix a time for spiritual sadhana and adhere

to it strictly. Bhagawan's message must reflect itself in

your life. Spend time interacting with destitute and

socially backward people and give them a sense of

belongingness.

Finally, take very good care of your parents as well. Do

not let monetary success lead you to become

ostentatious – remember, that may affect their children.

Actively encourage family members to take up sadhana

in their lives. At a personal level, reflect for a few

minutes every day, and look back with gratitude at the

rich blessings Bhagawan has showered upon you.”

Dr. Jagadeeshwar Rao

Dept. of Chemistry, Prasanthi Nilayam

Q: What has made the experience of teaching in

Bhagawan's university special? Any memories you

would like to share?

“Students in Bhagawan's colleges are so different from

students outside. The respect with which you interacted

with teachers when you were students, the love and

concern that all of us teachers had for you (and continue

to have for current students) makes this place really

unique. It is this unique student-teacher relationship

that makes this institution special. The student to

teacher ratio is excellent and allows one-to-one

interactions required for character building and sharing

life's lessons. There can be no doubt that the pure and

selfless love that Swami showers on His students

becomes part of their lives too.

There was a time in my teaching experience when I

wondered why was I wasting time in mundane affairs,

when God Himself has come in our midst? Why not totally

plunge into spiritual enquiry and realise the self? When I

asked Bhagawan for His permission to quit teaching and

dedicate my life to self enquiry, He refused outright. He

cautioned against separating spirituality from my daily

duties, adding emphatically He would not grant me what

I was seeking in even a thousand births if I walked away

from my duties. Later, Bhagawan told me to meditate on

the question 'Who am I?' One day, as I was I happened to

be sitting near the interview room, absorbed in the

contemplation of 'Who am I?', Bhagawan stepped out. I wondered if I should open my eyes or

continue with my inner enquiry. Something prompted me to open my eyes and I saw Bhagawan

staring at me. As He passed by me, He tapped me once on my shoulder. The next day when I sat at

the same place I was immediately drawn into a different world where 'I became everything, and

everything was me'. That experience lasted one full day and to this day that has been my most

memorable experience. Bhagawan taught me that sincerity alone is what matters. It is not the

amount of work but the effort that an individual puts in to the best of his capacity that moves

Bhagawan's heart.”

-Sri HJ Bhagia

School of Business Mgmt. Accounting & Finance,

Prasanthi Nilayam

“Once, Bhagawan had given instructions to ask two

students to leave the hostel, on disciplinary grounds.

Not permitted to stay in the hostel, the two students had

taken up accommodation outside the ashram. They were

so aggrieved by their folly that they did not have food for

two days. Just then, Bhagawan had called all the

teachers for an interview. At an opportune moment,

around four to five of us pleaded on behalf of the two

students with Bhagawan. We also mentioned to Swami

that the students were remorseful, and had forsaken

food for two days. Bhagawan listened to all the details

we were trying to share, after which He made a stunning

revelation. Even He had not eaten a morsel for those two

days! Pained by severance from the mother's proximity,

the children had given up food. But the divine mother

was more pained - how could she partake food when her

children were left hungry? We were left dumb struck.

The depth of the Bhagawan's divine love for students

cannot be gauged by anyone.”Dr. Basavaraju

Dept. of Bio-Sciences, Prasanthi Nilayam

Q: What gives you the sense of fulfilment from

teaching in Bhagawan's university ?

“When a long academic year comes to an end, you feel

tired and exhausted and even start thinking in terms of

hanging up one's shoes. Then all of a sudden a student

turns up, or writes in, expressing how much of a

difference I have made to him. That moment brings the

greatest fulfilment. I am then ready for another

innings!”

Prof. GV Prabhakar Rao

Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Sciences,

Prasanthi Nilayam

08 09

A great teacher affects eternity; he can never tell

where his influence stops.

This is a reprint of a Vidyullekha special tribute to Prof. D.S.

Habbu, who merged with Bhagawan's Lotus Feet earlier this

year. Bhagawan's introductory words about Prof. Habbu in

1983 - “I have brought the best principal to the Higher

Secondary School” became a living truth that transformed

the life of every student graduating from the school

thereafter. Former students offer their deepest and

heartfelt gratitude to sir for everything he inspired them to

become.

This first person reflection is written by an alumnus of the

school as a tribute to his 'most beloved and respected

Principal sir”.

The final exams were still a few weeks away. There was

enough time to catch up on the lessons that were still hazy,

to work on the tougher text book problems and to 'mug up'

those lengthier formulae. Our parents were miles away. We

could afford to take it easy. This was the time to relax. And

may be crack a few jokes with classmates, all assembled to

listen to our principal.

There he was, dressed in crisp white khadi, standing ramrod

straight, with a gentle smile on his face. He spoke in a clear

and measured tone. “We have to hoist Bhagawan's flag on

the CBSE building in Delhi,” he said. “When the results are

announced by the CBSE in Delhi and I take the marks sheet

to Bhagawan, He must have a smile on His face. That is all

we aspire for.”

He looked around, “If your calibre is to achieve 90%, and if

you secure only 80% or 85%, Bhagawan will not be happy.

Aim to achieve your potential.” This made us stand

straighter. We could feel the excitement rushing from

within. What lies ahead is more than an exam. It's an

opportunity, which we shall not waste. “Yes,” we told

ourselves silently, “We will achieve our potential.” This is

not the experience of just one batch. Year after year,

students have felt the sudden surge of energy to go that

extra mile.

Great teachers inspire. There cannot be a better example

than “Habbu Sir”. For us, the alumni of Sri Sathya Sai Higher

Secondary School, Habbu Sir epitomised the values of hard

work, duty, dedication and devotion to Bhagavan. His focus

was to ensure we grew up to be bright, ethical, patriotic,

spiritual, balanced and self confident citizens with

Bhagawan at the core of our being. His patience and

exactitude helped shape our lives. His name reverberates

like a mantra and continues to evoke awe and inspiration

among all those who were privileged to be under his

tutelage at the school.

One of the most defining images of Habbu Sir is his chanting

the name of our Lord silently. He seemed to be doing

“namasmarana” all the time, whether it was walking to and

from the school or sitting on the verandah waiting for

darshan. His most treasured possession was his diary, in

which he would set targets for students to achieve,

especially those in Classes X and XII. Many of us treasure

vivid memories of Habbu Sir motivating us to excel in

academics. He would often encourage us to stretch our

limits.

Habbu Sir was a strict disciplinarian and a great patriot.

Every year before Independence and Republic days, he

would stand in front of us with his eyes on his watch, and

make us rehearse the National Anthem over and over again

to ensure that we sang it in exactly 52 seconds. We were

relived and happy when we got it right at last. But these

sessions also taught us a bigger lesson - the importance of

paying attention to detail.

During these days, year after year, we always looked

forward to his speech after the flag hoisting ceremony.

They were inspiring, made our hearts swell with pride, and

urged us to do more for the country. It wasn't difficult to

notice, through his speeches, lifestyle and personality, how

deeply he was influenced and inspired by Mahatma Gandhi.

Incidentally, he chose to be always clad in Khadi clothing – a

symbolic gesture of remembrance to a personality who had

shaped his ideas and values.

Habbu Sir had a unique way of explaining life in Prasanthi

Nilayam to students who joined the School in Class XI. One

student of the 1990 batch recalls: “During those days, we

had a weekly SUPW (Socially Useful Productive Work) class.

Sometimes we used to bind/label the next issue of

Sanathana Sarathi as the printing press was next to our

school. At other times, we packed vibhuti packets and on

many occasions we cleared the grounds behind the school

of parthenium weeds. The most cherished of these classes

was when all the school and institute students (on Sundays)

would engage in these activities and Bhagawan would

Himself come to oversee our work. As Bhagawan's car

approached an area, boys would leave their work and form

a line to have His Darshan. On one such occasion, Habbu Sir,

informed us that this was the difference between life with

Bhagawan and elsewhere. In other places, people often

work only when the dignitary comes for a round, in

Bhagawan's presence, we work all the time but when He is

around, we take the opportunity to have His Darshan.”

Many new students often wondered whether the sun rose

and set with Habbu Sir! He would be there in the

playgrounds early in the morning to see us go for a jog and

exercise the body by playing foot ball, cricket, volley ball or

whatever sport we fancied. He would then go for

Bhagawan's darshan and arrive at the school before the

students gathered for the morning assembly.On one

occasion Bhagawan enquired from Habbu Sir whether He

was aware of what hostel life for students was like. From

that day, until His retirement, He would visit the hostel

every evening to check for himself. Bhagawan's word was

His command. Such was His dedication!

Habbu Sir was a great speaker. He often narrated the story

of Prof. Thakakao. (Prof. Thakakao taught Dr V K Gokak, the

first Vice Chancellor of our university.) He would say, “After

examination results were declared, Mr. Thakakao would go

to his university's head and ask, “And who has stood second

in the University.” “Why? Don't you want to know who came

first?” “No” was the prompt reply from the young

Thakakao, “because the first rank is reserved for one Mr

Thakakao.” Stories like these inspired us to believe in

ourselves and have faith in our own abilities.

Gratitude Corner Gratitude Corner

To Sir, With Love

10 11

To those who wished to become good public speakers,

Habbu Sir used to point to examples of Abraham Lincoln's

Gettysburg speech, Rt Hon'ble V S Srinivas Sastri, Sri M.

Visweswaraiah and Sir C V Raman. He believed that

speeches should be short and powerful. He liked to quote

an incident from the life of Sir C V Raman. When

approached to be the chief guest at a function, Sir C V

Raman told the organisers –“ If you want me to speak for an

hour, I am ready straight away but if you want me to speak

for 15 minutes, you have to give a month's time to prepare”.

Habbu Sir wanted us to excel in sports too. His favourite

basketball matches were those between the school and the

institute students. Whenever he spoke about it, it was with

child-like enthusiasm. Once, the school students won their

match 20-4. Habbu Sir was the proudest man on that day.

He recollected this match to alumni who went to see Him in ndthe Super Speciality Hospital on 2 Jan 2009, a few days

before he left his mortal body.

As a teacher, Habbu Sir was par excellence. For us, he was

the best history teacher in the world. He was a master story

teller. When he taught, we could almost see the characters

in life and blood before our eyes. He could enthral and

capture even the most numeric and scientific minds with

his often quoted, “And one more anecdote….” His classes

were exciting and very interesting. He could seamlessly

blend these anecdotes with modern day socio-economic

problems faced by India. As a teacher He was inspiring.

Every year a debate was organised between Class XI and

Class XII students on an interesting topic. After the session,

when the jury was still out, Habbu Sir gave His perspective

on the whole issue. Every time, His views were refreshing

and thought provoking.

Habbu Sir worked tirelessly. His sole aim was to bring joy to

Bhagavan. In the process He made our school, truly, world

class. He sought no rewards, and no recognition. He always

exhorted us to follow Bhagavan. Many alumni who went to

see Him in the Super Speciality Hospital in Jan 2009

confided in Him, “Sir, we will follow your teachings” and to

each one of them He replied, “Follow Bhagawan.” He was

much more than a school principal.

In 1983, on the verandah in Prasanthi Nilayam, Bhagawan

introduced Habbu Sir to a group of dignitaries as the

“World's best Principal”. In July 2008, twenty five years

later, speaking to Radio Sai, Habbu Sir wondered whether

He had lived up to Bhagawan's expectations. One thing He

knew for certain, He had tried His very best. He had given it

his all.

Dearest Bhagawan, we wish to “Thank You” from the

bottom of our hearts, for choosing Prof D S Habbu, as our

Most Beloved and Respected Principal Sir. We are grateful

for this opportunity. We are privileged to have been His

students. We are proud to have been associated so closely

with such a noble and dedicated soul.

Dearest Bhagawan, You could not have chosen a better

person to shape our impressionable minds. We remain

grateful to you. Habbu Sir shall remain a “special person” in

our lives. To each one of us, His students, He is a legend.

We, the alumni of Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School,

pray, that our most beloved and revered Habbu Sir, is free

from this cycle of birth and death and rests eternally at Your

Lotus Feet.

Habbu Sir's life was an example of devotion and dedication

to Bhagavan. To his students, He was a Karma Yogi. He

practiced Bhagawan's teaching, “Dil mein Ram, haath mein

kaam.” Ably assisted by a dedicated band of teachers,

If only we could live our lives backwards, we would live the best parts with the wisdom they ought to be lived with. I couldn't have hoped for more magical times than those I experienced as Bhagawan's student. They make me long for another chance, another take at drawing even more deeply from the fountain of divine love Bhagawan poured into my life then.

And yet, when I turn to read the pages from my diary back then, I am left speechless by the gentle patience, care and infinite grace Bhagawan tended me with. There were many occasions I failed to comprehend the love and care Bhagawan showered on me; many a golden chance whose import I did not fully grasp. The memory of the Lord's uncountable kindnesses

From My DiaryFrom My Diary

12 13

never fails to bring a lump to my throat and a blur into my eyes.

Date : Early July 1983

If you need God, He once said, you deserve Him. The amazing thing is, back then I did not even realize how much I needed Him to celebrate fully this miracle called life.

It is with utter gratitude and humility that I share a few pages from my life's diary.

It is over a couple of months since I joined Bhagawan's higher secondary school. I had been yearning for an opportunity to interact with Him. I had even once gone on a fast for this purpose, but my wing teacher came to know of it and had me stop it at once. I was left with no option but to pray and wait.

Date: Second fortnight, July 1983

“Kahaan se aaya” (Where are you from)? Bhagawan was 'speaking' to me! Stunned beyond my senses, I watched His lips move as He spoke and heard His voice echo in my head.

Today turned out to be that most awaited day. As I sat in the front, close to the interview room, the audience that Bhagawan was granting came to a close and the devotees filed out. By now, after days of unheard prayers I had lost all hope. It appeared that Bhagawan would never acknowledge my existence! Bhagawan came out and stood by the upper portico, near where Mr. Khayaldas sat, so close that He was only inches away from me! Unable to hold back I reached out and gently placed my palms on His lotus feet. All of a sudden I heard His voice. When I looked up, I saw He was asking me,

I couldn't speak. Bhagawan repeated His question while I continued to stare in dumbfounded astonishment. He then smiled and went back into the interview room. I was in a different world. I had no explanations for my strange behavior!

Beside myself with joy, I also feared that I had let slip a golden chance. Will the kind Lord bless me with another opportunity?

Date: August 1983

After many days of hopeful expectation, I happened to sit at the same spot in mandir in front of the interview room. As Bhagawan walked out of the interview room, I watched Him with bated breath and a thumping heart. He came and stood at exactly the same spot as before. Turning to look at me gaping, He asked once again, “Where are you from?” Till this point everything was fine. I was enjoying His darshan. But all at once, on hearing the simplest question from Him, I went blank. All I could recognize was His divine face. Everything else was a hazy blur. His voice continued to echo in my head as, with great compassion, He repeated His question. The scriptures speak of the dumb who speak and the lame who climb the mountains by His grace. Alas, here I was perfectly normal, and yet unable to utter any response when the Lord asked a trifling question of me! Smiling with understanding, Bhagawan moved on amongst the devotees.

I had no idea why I behaved in this strange manner. When, after days and months of intense heartfelt prayer, Bhagawan turned His loving glance and chose to bless me with His divine

sambhashan, I sat mute, frozen, and unable to respond with grateful love. Though it appeared Bhagawan granted my wishes, I wondered if I was unprepared to receive them. I aspired for the Lord's attention, but not once did I stop to wonder if I was worthy of such a blessing. Was Bhagawan lovingly making me reflect on this question?

It was a bright golden Sunday morning. After the first round of interviews, Bhagawan took another fortunate group inside. It was around 10 a.m. Bhajans were set to commence in half an hour. Most boys were seated inside the bhajan hall, while I chose to sit outside, leaning against a pillar at the rear end of the portico. The interview room door was in my full view. A familiar hush followed. The interview door opened and the devotees filed out, led by Bhagawan Himself.

Often we desire His love like many objects that hold our fancy. And so it falls in His hands to help us see our folly and correct the same, and then shower us with His grace.

Date: September 1983

14 15

Bhagawan stopped in front of the Bhajan hall door. Looking in my direction He locked His gaze with mine! And then He gently drifted towards me. Smiling, I knelt to receive the Lord. To my pleasant surprise this time I found my tongue. He asked the same question, “Where are you from?”Politely pointing to the Lord I said, “From You, Swami.”

The all-knowing Lord smiled, and said, “No - physically, kahaan se” (Physically, where do you come from)?And I answered, “Delhi, Swami.”Bhagawan went on to ask, “What is your name?”Happy to still continue the conversation with our Lord, I gave Him my first name.Bhagawan: “Full name?”I gave Bhagawan my full name.Bhagawan then asked me the meaning of my last name.

I was dumbstruck. My mind was racing with numerous thoughts trying hard to come up with the best answer. Fortunately, before I could speak Bhagawan Himself gave the answer.

Bhagawan: “It means adopted.”

Being cheeky, I responded, “By you, Swami.”

Bhagawan gave a beautiful smile and said, “Teesko” (take), permitting me to offer my salutations at His divine lotus feet.

This was my first conversation with the Lord. This was a dream come true.

It was another exciting Sunday. We all got ready early to rush for morning darshan. It turned out to be one of those lucky days for me. I happened to sit in the front, with the best view of the interview room.

Date: March 1984

As usual Bhagawan blessed the birthday boys and tossed the candies they offered to those in the portico. I managed to grab a few. Moving on, continuing to give darshan, Bhagawan took a full round and returned with both His hands filled with letters He had accepted from devotees. As He neared the area where I sat, He looked at me, and pointing at my neck asked, “Have you received?” I could not follow the question. As I wore nothing around my neck I gestured in the negative. He gently mimicked my reply and transferred all the letters to His left hand. With the wave of His right hand, He materialized a silver chain. I moved forward and knelt in front of Him. With one hand Bhagawan placed the chain around my neck and tucked it inside my shirt. The chain held a medal at its end, with Bhagawan's face embossed on one side and the symbol “Om” on the other. All the while I was busy admiring the Lord, whose benevolent gaze was accompanied by a sweet and magnanimous smile. I then took padanamaskar. Bhagawan blessed me and went in for the morning interviews.

Many weeks later, I found a black dot above the “Om” on the medallion. I got scared. It was a tough time for me - a time of serious introspection. I tried to clean it with vibhuti water, but nothing worked. I started to carefully monitor all my actions. Every night I would recall the activities that filled my day and analyze them. I even stopped talking to anyone. After few days, to my relief the black dot disappeared on its own. Later I learnt that Bhagawan had said to a devotee that His materializations absorb all our negativity. If the recipient of His gifts were to entertain wrongful thoughts or engage in improper conduct, then His materializations can turn black.

1985

I join the esteemed portals of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in the Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) program. The Institute provided a five year integrated course. However, many students opted for the newly commenced MBA program after their graduation. I decided to pursue my masters in commerce (M.Com). I thought if I waited to do my MBA after my M.Com, I would prolong my stay in Puttaparthi by two more years. I was in no great hurry here.

Days rolled into months. Living every moment with the Lord and for the Lord came naturally to me. There was nothing that I valued more than being with Bhagawan. When holidays approached many of us had to be forcefully sent home, as we refused to leave the divine presence. Life away from Bhagawan was unthinkable.

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March 1991

I completed my M.Com. Per my plans, I had applied for the MBA program in Puttaparthi and was preparing for the entrance exam at home in Delhi during the summer vacation. A few days into my preparation I received a telegram from the university. Its contents left me baffled. It read thus, “You are not required to take the entrance examination for the degree of Masters in Business Administration.” I could not perceive the reason for such intimation. How could the university prevent me from taking the examinations? I could be rejected or declined a seat but why would I be prevented from taking the exam? It felt so mysterious. I rushed to Puttaparthi and met with the registrar, who confirmed the university's communication. Perhaps the Lord was playing with me in His own mysterious ways? With all doors now closed, I turned to Bhagawan who was in Brindavan at that time.

fortunate to attend a few wonderful “Trayee sessions” with Bhagawan and the Brindavan students. Things then took a turn for the worse! Soon enough, we 'ex-students' were asked to sit with devotees as Trayee sessions were meant only for current students. Privilege starved, benefits deprived, everything seemed to be falling apart for me. Along with a few others from my batch, I stayed in a small room in Kadugodi village. It had no running water, so we would take our bath from a well before going for darshan. What kept me heartened was the fact that Bhagawan was not avoiding 'ex-students'. He was actually looking at us during darshans. He allowed me to touch His feet. There are no conversations though.

In Brindavan, I realized I could not stay in the hostel as I was no longer a student. After finding an accommodation outside the ashram, I was

We later learnt that Bhagawan had decided to relaunch summer course sessions this year. We sent our prayers to be allowed to participate.

The warden of the Brindavan hostel called and informed us that Bhagawan had permitted us to be a part of the summer course. Adding to the good news, we could now stay in the hostel. 'Ex-students' were given a separate room. We were also allowed to attend the Trayee sessions.

June 1991

After days of despondency, this was a most welcome turn of events. Our daily routine involved waking up, morning darshan, summer course lectures and usually dinner with Bhagawan. Bhagawan would also deliver His divine discourses each evening.

June 1991. Last day in Brindavan

The summer course came to an end and the examination on the topics covered was also successfully conducted. When Bhagawan came out for darshan on the final day, the 'ex-students' group was asked to sit on the Trayee lawns.

As we saw Bhagawan approaching us, we knelt up to receive Him. He had a very serious look on His face. He stopped in front of me. “Go.” He said to me, “Go home.”“No, Swami. I want to stay with You,” I pleaded. His expression did not change. He gestured to some students near the interview room to bring vibhuti prasadam. “First you follow My instructions. If you cannot abide by My instructions, how do you propose to follow Me?” I was deeply unsettled. I did not know how to respond. “Swami, I want to do my MBA,” I persisted.Bhagawan responded, “Phehley kyon nahi kiya (Why did you not do so before)? You have studied enough, now go and work.”

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Meanwhile, the students had brought Bhagawan's vibhuti prasadam basket. Bhagawan began distributing the vibhuti to us. I refused to accept the same! I thought if I accepted the prasad, it would convey to Bhagawan that I was ready to leave. But Bhagawan was not ready to relent. He said firmly, “Take it (the vibhuti), otherwise I will never give it to you again.” I was left no option but to accept the vibhuti from Bhagawan. Then, He asked us to take namaskar. When I resisted, He admonished me once again forcing me to take His blessings.

And then He turned to leave. We were all in tears. Sensing our feelings, Bhagawan turned around and said,

. Looking back, I realized that we were deluding ourselves by thinking of that moment as one of departure and goodbyes.

.

`You follow me and I will always be with you and talk to you'

Bhagawan knew His bond with each of us was everlasting, and that the stories of our lives would continue to be authored by Him

As Alumni, Students Forever:

True to His blessing, neither Bhagawan's love nor His lessons for me abated one bit as I moved on from student life. Once, soon after we had transitioned to our new lives as alumni, a few of us gathered in Puttaparthi for a village service project. During our student days, we had become accustomed to receiving namaskar both before and after any such activity. As former students, some of us felt it would not be appropriate to ask Bhagawan for namaskar before the seva. Hence after completing the village service we assembled for darshan. Somehow, we felt that completing the seva entitled us with a 'right' to ask Bhagawan for the prized namaskar.

As Bhagawan came towards us we got up on our knees, and said “Bhagawan, we completed the village service…”Bhagawan's immediate response was a question – “So?” This reaction from Bhagawan took us by surprise. We didn't understand what He meant.

An alumnus from three rows behind articulated our heart's desire, “Swami, namaskar please.”

“Why?” countered Bhagawan again. Now we were speechless.

“Do you not brush everyday?” asked Bhagawan in a matter of fact manner. Not knowing how to respond appropriately, we kept silent.

Bhagawan elaborated – “

” Bhagawan's words went straight to our hearts. He had given us a profound message. Bhagawan walked away from us towards the interview room. We all sat quietly in our places. Undoubtedly, Bhagawan's message had a deep impact on each of us.

Suddenly there was a hush…and Bhagawan came rushing towards where we sat. Looking at our surprised faces, He smiled and said, “Teesko... (take)” permitting us the precious joy of offering Him our namaskar. We literally dashed forward for the opportunity. As I tried to thank Him, Bhagawan looked at me and said, “Look,

.”

I have no explanat ion or justification for His love and grace. We are all blessed to be in His protection. I have no words to express my gratitude to the Master.

Just as brushing your teeth is a natural act, serving others should be a part of your life. To justify your birth as a human being, you must be ready to serve. And why ask for recognition or acknowledgement for something you are supposed to anyway do?

if you value my words, I will value your prayers

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I am because He Is.

“Tere Rehmaton ke intah,sare-kham hai Tere dar peTere Noor se Sharashar,

Haamey Tum se pyar hai”

[Such is your abundant and limitless grace, That my head is eternally bowed at your door

The entire cosmos radiates and shines with your effulgence, Thus we love you, Lord…]

About the Author

The author is currently based in Toronto, Canada. He joined the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School as a student in 1983, and continued his education at Prasanthi Nilayam till his graduation with a masters degree in commerce. Today, He continues to serve Bhagawan by active participation in the activities of the Sai Centers in Toronto. In addition, he conducts Balvikas classes, mentors young adults and shares the love of Bhagawan with devotees.

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Cover StoryCover Story

Alumni Meet

-The Genesis & The Journey-

The Blossoming Buds

New Year day is the most awaited day of the year for alumni when all of us rush to experience the thrill of Bhagawan's blessings and love.

To sit before Bhagawan on New Year day in the magical garden of His love, brings to life Bhagawan's words from many years ago – “You are flowers in God's garden, stars in God's sky...” Today, each

This garden has blossomed one bud at a time, and all the tending and care has been Bhagawan's.

The inspiration for the annual meet came from Bhagawan, and the instruments He used to make it a reality were the senior alumni residing in Puttaparthi. In the nineties, after morning interviews, Bhagawan frequently spent time interacting with them. Energized by Bhagawan's shower of love, they shared the happenings in

Puttaparthi via letters with other alumni outside. The purse strings of divine love were open, and responses from alumni all over started pouring in. Shortly, a dedicated post box was created and a semi-formal newsletter began circulating. Bhagawan had planted the seeds, and now the tender buds were beginning to blossom!

Alumni Service Camps

The goal provided by Bhagawan was very clear: to ensure holistic development of the entire village.

In 1995, with Bhagawan's love and a prayer in their hearts, a group of sixty alumni came together to plan seva activities around the hallowed precincts of Puttaparthi. Many times during His interactions with alumni, Bhagawan had stressed on “village adoption”.

Motivated thus by the Lord, Appalavandala Palli was chosen as the location for the first service activity. In conjunction with village elders and leaders, wide-ranging seva activities were undertaken, from a medical camp to Narayan Seva,.

At this nascent stage, Bhagawan guided the seva activity through His direct involvement and meticulous attention to detail. He would caution that service is never to others but to one's own self and hence must not become something to boast about. Sometimes He would send elder devotees to independently visit and report on the proceedings of the seva camps. Responding to His guidance and involvement, alumni service activities started to expand. Within a few years, three major medical camps were being held regularly – two near Puttaparthi and one close to Brindavan.

On one occasion, village folk who benefitted from the village adoption came to the mandir to express their gratitude to Bhagawan.

In so saying, Bhagawan let alumni realize that in the seva work they were undertaking, in reality they were merely His instruments! The villagers then

Some of them thanked Bhagawan for sending 'His boys' to take care of their needs. Bhagawan's smiling response was “It is My responsibility to you!”

prayed for the water supply project to be extended to their village as well. On Bhagawan's instructions, their wish was fulfilled. Another occasion saw tense moments when a pregnant woman undergoing labor pains was brought to the camp. By Bhagawan's grace a few lady doctors were present, and after a few moments of heart-stopping anxiety, a lovely child was born. Both the mother and baby came through the experience beautifully. Indeed, in these remote villages lacking basic medical facilities, Bhagawan showed that no one is beyond the reach of His protective care.At the same time, Bhagawan would also caution and guide. In 1997, alumni updated Bhagawan about the success of an eye camp organized in Kothacheruvu. Bhagawan, however, emphasized the need for caution in organizing such camps. Such surgeries should be carried out in the hospitals at Puttaparthi, He said, to take care of any post-surgery complications. He also stressed the importance of providing simple preventive care tips to villagers. Bhagawan would share examples from His own daily routine that could be followed by anyone for general good health.As momentum started to build, water purification and tree plantation programs were added to the roster of seva activity. Other initiatives included rural employment drives, gober gas plant distribution, temple renovation, tree plantation, and veterinary camps.

In 2002, the alumni bhajan group prayed to Bhagawan to allow them to perform in His divine presence. Bhagawan kept them guessing till the last moment before finally giving His permission. The program that followed was soul-stirring, and the audience was treated to a sumptuous musical feast. Bhagawan was very

Alumni Bhajan group

happy, and He blessed each member of the bhajan group, bathing them in a cascade of His grace and love. Since then, a musical performance has become a defacto feature of every alumni meet.

As an expression of their deep gratitude to the Lord, in 2003 the alumni bhajan group offered at Bhagawan's lotus feet a recording of bhajans titled “A Bridge Across Time”. The title was apt, as the melodious submission sought to turn back the clock to the days when, as students, they sang bhajans inside the mandir. The day before offering the recording, alumni offered a card to Bhagawan listing the songs. The next day, they thought their efforts had borne fruit when Bhagawan accepted the recording. But

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Bhagawan was ready for more; and He asked for six of the songs listed in their card to be sung in His presence! Needless to say, such attention thrilled each member of the group. No wonder fourteen volumes of the musical series have since been offered to the Lord.

On the morning of January 1st, 2006, students of the university brass band were fortunate to put up a program in the Sai Kulwant Hall in Bhagawan's physical presence. Across the hall stood a few alumni who had been part of the very same band during their student days. As they watched the members of the band perform, a fledgling prayer then nestling in their hearts found wings – “Bhagawan, we yearn to play before you. Kindly bless our prayers to come true.” In this prayer lay the genesis of the alumni brass band.

Alumni Brass Band

But several challenges had to be met – the first lay in procuring the elaborate array of band instruments. Relentless efforts and sincere prayers were finally rewarded by the Lord in His own inimitable style. One set of unused brass instruments was discovered in Shivam, Bhagawan's mandir at Hyderabad. The caretakers were kind enough to lend these

instruments to alumni. Another set of instruments was sourced from Brindavan. The Brindavan college authorities graciously made available whatever brass instruments they had. Even after being blessed with instruments from Brindavan and Shivam, some key pieces were still missing. Bhagawan's unseen hand was at work as the last piece of the instrument puzzle fell into place. The university band at Puttaparthi had just been blessed with a new set of instruments. The university authorities in Puttaparthi were kind enough to let alumni use the old instruments in a musical offering to Bhagawan. With the instruments arranged for and with less than two months for the forthcoming alumni meet, most alumni band members realized they hadn't played a single note since their student days. Far from playing melodies, coaxing any sound out of the instruments itself initially seemed to be a tall order. But slowly and steadily, things began to take shape. A week prior to January 1st, 2007 the first ever ensemble of the alumni band met in Puttaparthi and practiced hard. During the same period, a card was offered to Bhagawan to seek His blessings to play for Him on New Year's morning. And Bhagawan's first words struck a resonant note of grace and love that needed no further explanation “Instruments ekkadaninchi vacchindi?” (Where did the instruments come from?)

Alumni Vedam groupOn Jan 1st 2002, twelve alumni who were part of the vedam group prayed to Bhagawan for the precious chance to chant in the divine presence. The Lord, however, had other plans. It was a test of determination and faith for these alumni. Knowing that Bhagawan's delays were not His denials, they persisted year after year. The cherished chance was finally conferred in the year 2007 – after a five year wait! The alumni vedam group was granted the privilege to lead Bhagawan's procession into the Sai Kulwant hall on New Year's day. Bhagawan's hand was at work even prior to this. During the practice sessions that year, an alumnus in the group felt that they should strengthen their repertoire of chants with additional mantras. The group practiced hard. That year, Bhagawan did ask for unexpected and numerous stops in the chanting, so the additional practice really helped!

The subsequent year, the vedam group could not include the increasing number of alumni interested in being part of the procession. In 2009, the vedam group again had more candidates than available slots for chanting. Many thought that they would not get the opportunity that year as well, however the Lord willed otherwise! As Bhagawan agreed to address alumni in the Poornachandra auditorium, the boys who could not chant vedam the previous day got the opportunity to receive Bhagawan into Poornachandra – and none of the alumni vedam batch were left out.

And on the morning of January 1st, 2007, after a year of hustle, bustle, and struggle, what many people had thought impossible was made possible. Out flowed the pieces, Maha Ganapathim, Sri Rama Sharanam Mama, Bala Gopal and Star Wars. Bhagawan's blissful smile of acknowledgement came to be the crowning moment for the alumni band.

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Bhagawan's Personal InteractionsIn 2002, a group of alumni were conducting seva in a remote village in the run-up to the alumni meet. The village was not easily accessible; at many points there was not even the semblance of a road leading up to it. A small vehicle was deputed to ferry a limited number of alumni and camp material to the village. After their seva was complete, this group was waiting for their pick-up to return to the ashram. While waiting, they noticed a temple with idols of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman and mother Sita. It was close to the evening bhajan time, so they decided to hold a bhajan session in that temple. The first bhajan the group chose to sing was "Ramam Bhajo", as that was a Rama temple. They then noticed an elderly villager observing the happenings from a distance. Soon he joined the group and whole heartedly participated in the bhajans. Once bhajans were over, boys requested this village elder to give arathi to the Lord's idols.

After arathi, this elder revealed that he had been a class mate of Bhagawan's!

Further, Bhagawan had also sung the same bhajan - "Ramam Bhajo" back then. This revelation was a powerful reminder of the

Even more startling was his revelation that twenty-five years ago, Bhagawan had revitalised the very temple they were in, by procuring and installing the idols there. At that time He had mentioned "My boys will come here!"

omniscient Lord who is indeed kalateetaya - beyond time. On their return to the ashram that evening, this group of alumni was surprised to hear others in the mandir describe the occurrences from their camp that day. They then learnt that those details had been shared by Bhagawan, who had described each seva activity carried out in the village, the travails faced by the alumni in reaching the place, and also the bhajan session that they conducted!

From the humble beginnings of the first annual meet in the year 2000 to the most recent one, Bhagawan's personal interactions remain the treasure alumni carry back in their hearts. It has been a journey of indescribable sweetness, for such has been the extent of love showered by Sai. Bhagawan would many a time ask alumni “Who is your leader?” and they would reply in chorus, “Bhagawan, You are our leader.” These moments of love were immensely enjoyed by the Lord and His students alike. Once, current students were distributing prasadam in the mandir and it had not yet reached the place where alumni were seated. Bhagawan happened to ask some alumni whether they had received the prasadam. Their reply was “Bhagawan, not yet – but it is coming.” Bhagawan then called one of the students managing the distribution and said “Why are you first giving the prasadam to

(current) students before the old students? There is no difference between old and new – all are one.”

During the third meet, Bhagawan blessed alumni by speaking to them separately in the bhajan hall. Bhagawan remarked

The Lord's benediction elated and thrilled the assembled alumni. Bhagawan spoke to alumni again during the fourth meet.

“You should come every year – that gives Me ananda.”

By 2009, more than five hundred alumni from around the world gathered in Prashanti Nilayam. Alumni prayed to Bhagawan for holding a convention in the Poorna Chandra hall. Bhagawan consented to the prayers thus “You can have it (the convention) anywhere you like, I will certainly come!” That year He allocated fifty

three rooms as accommodation for alumni with families, in addition to the old Hostel and a shed for alumni to stay in and use. Ever the ideal host, Bhagawan got the auditorium decorated and the stage neatly done. Bhagawan personally invited senior leaders of Sai organization for the convention to speak with alumni. A few alumni asked Bhagawan what should they do to express their gratitude to Him. Bhagawan replied “Having spent time with Me, share the joy you received and the message you heard with all – that would be a measure of your gratitude to Me.”

Thus the extent of Bhagawan's involvement has become deeper each passing year! The Alumni Meet represents a divine love story between the Creator and His works. And in such a love story, we all have been blessed to play our parts in an epochal chapter. In the Treta yuga, all it took was a spirit of service and surrender for a squirrel to be blessed with the pride of place in folklore by the Lord. It is not our accomplishments, but the earnestness of our efforts that will mightily please the Lord. Legend has it that Lord Rama, pleased with its efforts, blessed the humble squirrel with a pat on its back. Similarly, our lives would have gained purport and consummation if, pleased with our heartfelt efforts, Bhagawan smiles and says – “I am happy.”

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Saluting the spirit of service, Love In Action brings you stories of service from across the world where alumni are joining hands with the local wings of the Sai organization and rendering heartfelt seva. In 2009, these efforts spanned multiple continents and cultures, and cut across a variety of societal needs. While seva itself is the primary focus, discussing and planning such seva are also key in ensuring that seva is useful, targeted and effective. For that reason, we also feature conferences and retreats where seva activities were planned, along with a limited selection from the spectrum of special initiatives underway this year.

VILLAGE UPLIFT

Mirchiwadi, Maharashtra

As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, Barclays India invited CSR project ideas from employees and provided £500 to fund select community projects. Sai University alumni at Barclays got together and selected the village of Mirchiwadi, about 70 km from Mumbai, as the focus of their team's CSR efforts, a focus that would later single them out as “Team Mirchiwadi” at Barclays.

In adherence with Bhagawan's guidance to seamlessly work in unison with the local Sai Centres, these alumni worked closely with devotees of the Ambarnath Sai Samiti. By leaning on the Samiti members for guidance, alumni were able to zero in on activities that would benefit local villagers the most. There were no roads that led to this hapless little village. The only school was a rundown shack of crumbling walls. Children were no longer taught in the school, and it was instead used by miscreants indulging in alcoholism and wanton gambling. The only well in the village was contaminated; ill-informed villagers washed and bathed close to the well, releasing dirty water back into the village's drinking water supply. Over the years, the local municipality stopped serving the people of the area with water tankers, as the sole dirt track that led to the village had become unpliable for vehicles. Adding to its woes, the village was not blessed with the miracle of electricity. And so Mirchiwadi presented the absolute picture of decay, a village that was waiting to be rehabilitated; a village that called for a touch of divinity.

The Need

..And the SevaThe alumni team began by building a proper road to Mirchiwadi, a lifeline that would ensure good things to come. Next, they helped clean the waters of the village well. In order to keep the waters from getting polluted again, they also constructed new outlets for used water to flow out through. The people of the hamlet could now wash their linen, livestock or take their baths without having to worry about contaminating their clean water. The next major issue addressed was the lack of proper schooling for the children of the village. Alumni involved themselves in personally rebuilding the dilapidated school, and helped in its renovation and painting. But that was only half of the solution. They then had to encourage the children to come to the school, by gifting each child with free uniforms, which they could otherwise never procure. The entire effort involved 150 villagers working for two days every week, for over a month, under the supervision of the village Panchayat (the local administrative body). Alumni project-managed the entire execution process, covering aspects ranging from planning and people management to resource allocation. As the seva involved villagers who were the direct beneficiaries of the project, the villagers cherished the beautiful dream turned reality.

Love in ActionLove in Action

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Unsolicited RewardsLittle did the alumni involved realize, once they were back at their offices in Mumbai, the amazing results their efforts had generated. All of Barclays' offices worldwide had undertaken a total of 57,000 projects, of which 443 projects from over 30 different countries had been nominated for the prestigious annual Barclays Global Chairman's Award. On the basis of the long-term impact and the largest number of beneficiaries of indigenously structured sustainable development, Project Mirchiwadi was awarded the coveted title! Over much acclaim that followed, the project also won the title of 'Team Achievement of the Year – Asia Pacific'.

But the greatest award was awaiting them back home in Prashanti Nilayam. The team travelled to Puttaparthi to offer their award at the Divine Lotus Feet. In the evening, as they sat in the darshan lines by the side of the car sheds with the

awards, certificates, photographs and other details of the project, Bhagawan, in His sweetest compassion, sent word for them to come and sit in the portico. When Swami finished His darshan round, He made a beeline to the group. With hearts brimming with joy, love and anticipation these alumni offered everything at Bhagawan's Lotus Feet. They went through all the project details, flipping through a brochure they had prepared specially for this purpose. Very lovingly, Swami enquired about every small detail of the project and blessed everyone in the group. The Barclays Global Chairman's Award was to be collected at Barclays' global headquarters in London, UK; Swami blessed and urged the representative alumni to go and receive the award.Following is a snippet of the conversation that followed:Swami - Very good, very, very happy. Where have you carried out the work?Alumni – At Mirchiwadi, Swami - with the help of Sai Samitis in Mumbai.Swami – How many boys were involved?Alumni – 12 boys in total, Swami. A few could not make it to Parthi.Swami –I am happy. Who are the ones going to receive the award, in London?(The two boys went forward)Swami – Very happy! Go and receive the award.

Alumni – . We do not want any awards.

You have given us so much and Your happiness is what we value above all.Swami –I am happy. Go and accept the award. Continue to do good work and involve the others working with you in all these activities.Swami blessed all alumni in the group, uttering the words that gave the greatest joy: “I am very happy”.

Swami, if You are happy that is more than enough for us

Gadoli Kalan Village, Gurgaon

In Gurgaon, inspired by Bhagawan's call for village service, seva activities are being carried out in the village of Gadoli Kalan. Alumni are playing an active role in serving this village which houses 250 families, with a population of about 1,800 people. Seva activities in the village have included the organization of a mega medical camp in which a team of six doctors looked into the health status of more than 220 villagers. Alumni also undertook Bal Vikas and cleaning of village temples.

. The assessment of the medical status revealed

Touched by this selfless work, the villagers have promised full co-operation in the broader village integration programme

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problems such as dental fluorosis, scabies and other health hazards among women indulging in smoking. Sai youth have pledged their services towards eradicating the health challenges plaguing the village.

Health and Nutrition

Beating The HeatIn Kolkata, alumni and the seva samithi joined hands to provide the city's hard-working traffic constables with a much needed respite from the summer heat. Cops in our country are seldom appreciated and cared for. Two vehicles loaded with water packets and Glucon-D took rounds under the blazing afternoon sun distributing the

'prasadam' to beat the summer heat. The traffic police were in for a pleasant surprise when they saw members of the Sathya Sai Seva organisation handing out the cool water and energy boosting glucose packs. “

, a smile lighting their sunbaked faces.

At least someone cares for us” was the reaction of the cops

Medicare, With Love

Alumni have started to create awareness among the medical community regarding Bhagawan's philosophy of medicare, working in tandem with local Sai organization centers. This initiative, being carried out under the auspices of the Sai Organization and the Sri Sathya Sai Medical Trust, is christened “Medicare with Love”. This initiative is an effort to galvanize the medical community, particularly medical students and doctors, by creating awareness of the Sai medicare philosophy. It is aimed to motivate medical students, doctors and teachers to try and bring a modification in their attitude towards medical practice. The objective has been to focus the attention of the doctors on

providing subsidized or free healthcare facilities to the poor and needy in their respective areas of operation. With Bhagawan's Blessings...With this motivation, alumni led the efforts to organize seminars on the Sai Medicare philosophy in prestigious medical colleges in Orissa. In April, alumni submitted this proposal to Swami for His consideration. Bhagawan was merciful enough to bless the project and give the go-ahead for its implementation. Since then the conceptualization, feasibility analysis, execution and follow-up have occurred seamlessly through the untiring efforts of alumni as well as the excellent support received from the Sai Organization in Orissa. Under the aegis of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization, seminars were held on May 1-2 in the campuses of Hi-Tech Medical College & Hospital, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences and SUMS Medical College & Hospital in Orissa. ..A Phenomenal ResponseThe response to these seminars was spectacular.

Over sixty percent of the 300 people in attendance expressed their interest in joining the activities of the Sai organization, and to visit the world-class medical institutions in Prashanti Nilayam and Bangalore. A small sampling of the responses is provided below: “It was an excellent presentation, very heartwarming. The best part for me was the detail about the kind of medical services provided. I will be pleased to join these service activities in any capacity you require.

. – Dr. Manas R. Behra, KIMS, Pediatrics “These presentations were wonderful appetizers. They have made me more interested in serving society and becoming a part of this organization. It would be an honor for me if I could contribute anything to this organization.

” – Sri Adya Das, Second Year MBBS.Two of the three institutions have requested an encore of such seminars before much larger audiences at those institutions. Observing this

I would be honored to join the team going to Puttaparthi”

For me visiting Puttaparthi would be like a dream coming true.

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impact, senior officials in the Sai Organization opined that such seminars would go a long way in addressing the dearth of doctors for local medical service activities. Phase II: With the Grace of beloved Lord during the second phase of the Medicare movement - another conference was organized in Rourkela, Orissa titled “Humanizing Medicare, An opportunity to serve mankind” was held on June 14th 2009.This was for an exclusive audience of Doctors invited from all surrounding towns including the capital city of Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack, Baleswar, and Berhampur. The conference had a very heartening attendance of over 171 doctors including, senior consultants, consultants, senior and junior residents and DNB students.

to serve in the Whitefield hospital free of cost and assist the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization in their seva activities.

Dr. Pandit Sahu-“Service rendered at the super speciality hospital (Prashanti Nilayam and Whitefield) touched me the most. Without the sevadals it is impossible to reach the goal. Service to mankind is service to god as imported by SSSO.”

Dr. Sidharth.S.Pattanaik, : “Every bit of the presentation enlightened me with self realization. I heartily thank SSSO for organizing such a wonderful program. The spiritual side of mine was awakened inside me today. I would love to join such seva activities and love to serve people. I have a dream to volunteer myself in SSSIHMS for serving the mankind.”

The success of this initiative has created an easily replicable model that is now being ported across cities having medical colleges and in cities, towns for the doctors conference . The seminar sessions are held under the banner of the local Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation. A standardized model/manual has been prepared to act as a ready reference for replication. This is acting as as a platform for seamless integration of Sai university alumni efforts with the medicare activities of Sri Sathya Sai Organisation. And as Albert Schweitzer has said echoing Bhagwans eternal message of selfless service – “I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

It was successful in touching the hearts of these doctors and paramedical professionals. They were inspired by Bhagawan Baba's message of 'Medicare with love; and more than 150 doctors are now active volunteers actively participating in service activities of the SSSSO and in specific to SSSVIP.

Here is something that the doctors have to say: .Dr. Sayed Mohammed Soleman-“All the parts have equally touched my heart. I wish ultimately

Education

Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, Piplani (Bhopal)

The Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School in Piplani (Bhopal) provides education to a number of poor children at a very nominal fee. The lone bore well in the school recently dried up, resulting in a serious scarcity of water for the school.Following a discussion with the school principal during Easwaramma day celebrations this year, alumni worked out a plan to fix this problem.

The water from one half of the school's roof passes through two filters and then supplies the water table that feeds the bore well's water supply or is stored in a 1,000-litre tank above ground.In addition, for the third consecutive year, eight deserving girl students identified by the principal and school staff received financial scholarships.

A well-planned water harvesting system has now been implemented at the school.

Sai Love in AfricaAlumni from Europe and the US have been involved in service activities in Sierra Leone and Zambia for the past two years. Their work focuses on aligning their seva efforts with Mr. Victor Kanu, the former High Commissioner of

Sierra Leone to Great Britain and leader in Sai service, in spreading Swami's love & message. Alumni from UK visited the Sri Sathya Sai School in Ndola, Zambia – more famously known as Swami's ”miracle school” – run by Mr. and Mrs. Kanu, who are now in their eighties. The couple's love, sacrifice, faith and sheer hard work over the last fifteen years have made the school a superlative institution in this remote area, and have created a positive and lasting worldwide impact. The school has transformed “school dropouts” into high achievers. After engaging in detailed discussions with Mr. and Mrs. Kanu and drawing upon their vast experience and knowledge of working in Africa, alumni undertook the following activities:

At Ndola, Zambia:Sri Sathya Sai Lecturerships: Four lecturerships have been instituted at the school, based on the rationale that if good teachers are sponsored to come to this remote area and teach, an entire class of students will benefit. Each of these lectureships contribute towards the training and monthly salaries for the teachers in the Sri Sathya Sai School.

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At Sierra Leone:Sierra Leone is often listed as the poorest

country in the world. Eighty percent of the population eats only once a day. Rice is the chief diet, and vegetables and milk are considered a luxury. About seventy percent of the city does not even have a power supply. Alumni undertook the following activities in Sierra Leone:

1. Sri Sathya Sai Scholarships: Scholarships were instituted in Sierra Leone by alumni from the United Kingdom.

at the University in Freetown, Sierra Leone, subject to good academic performance.

2. Sri Sathya Sai Nutrition Project: This projects was instituted in direct response to a express request for rice from the inhabitants of Yonibana Township, Sierra Leone, during the annual dry season.

In the words of the Mr. Kanu, “Sai's message is Universal Love, which is the sole motive for service. Your involvement here brings this message of universalism of Sai to the African people loud and clear.”

Each scholarship provides tuition, fees and accommodation for four years' graduate study

22,500 kg of rice were distributed to over 400 needy households in the township.

Employment & Life Skills

Job Mela, Mehboobnagar

At Mehboobnagar in Andhra Pradesh, alumni organized an innovative “job mela” for local village residents. With the help of an employment officer and potential employers,

, as preached by Confucius. Participants were divided according to their qualifications and guided towards the employment opportunities available through the employment officer and other employers.

about 1,300 villagers were taught how to fish (trained in vocational skills) rather than merely being given the proverbial “fish” (jobs)

SAI GRACE, Kolkata

SAI GRACE is the name of an initiative being undertaken by the Sai organization in West Bengal, aimed at equipping youth with the competencies and skills necessary for success in the workplace. The GRACE model seeks to accomplish this objective by emphasizing the importance of Goodness, Readiness, Attitude, Communication and Etiquette for optimal workplace impact. The scope of this initiative includes high school graduates, between the ages of 18 and 30, associated with Sai Centers in West Bengal. Alumni were actively involved in leading this initiative along with Sai samiti volunteers. In August, one of them sought Swami's blessings for this initiative, and with His divine blessings, the project has been extremely successful in achieving its aims. Nominations for the SAI GRACE workshop were methodically sought through samiti convenors of various districts and through the Bengali edition of Sanathana Sarathi. Nominations started to pour in from all parts of the state, and the first fifty nominees were invited for a workshop conducted at Sur Industries, Kolkata in September 2009. An alumnus kicked off the proceedings, inviting the Chief Guest, Mr. Radhakrishnan Nair, Chief of Human Resources at TATA Steel, to address the gathering. The state president of the Sai organization also addressed the attendees on the occasion.

. These sessions highlighted the importance of effective communication skills, positive thinking, and personal values such

The workshop included intensely interactive and useful sessions focusing on each aspect of the SAI GRACE model

as dignity of labour, faith and a positive attitude in the workplace. The wife of an alumnus, herself an alumnus of the Anantapur campus of the Sri Sathya Sai University, was the main workshop facilitator, given her specific expertise in the subject.After the workshop, all participants were divided into five groups for a ”Training Needs Analysis”. Subsequently, panels consisting of two members each conducted mock interviews for the participants, in order to identify each p a r t i c i p a n t ' s s t r e n g t h s a n d a r e a s o f improvement, and to plan follow-up grooming sessions accordingly. Follow-up activities from this workshop have included ongoing mentoring and spoken English classes for all the participants for a period of six weeks. Participants have greatly benefitted from this initiative.

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Helping Bhutanese Emigrants

Alumni in the southeastern region of USA have joined forces with a local organization to help Bhutanese refugees who have fled persecution in their native land.Bhutan is made up of several ethnic groups, one of which is the Lhotshampa, a people of Nepali origin who began to settle in the south of the country in the late 19th century. In the 1980s, the Lhotshampas were discriminated against, imprisoned, and tortured according to Amnesty International. By the end of 1992, there were more than 80,000 living in UNHCR camps in southeastern Nepal.BackgroundIn early 2009, after learning that the United Nations intended to relocate 20,000 Bhutanese people to the USA, some young adults realized that these newcomers from Bhutan would require assistance in acclimating to a new homeland. After refugees arrive in the United States, a governmental agency provides only six months of support to help them settle in their new country. After that, they are left to fend for themselves.

. Key ActivitiesSeveral alumni have joined young adults to offer their service in this cause, with guidance from Hebrew International Aid Society (HIAS) and Sai devotees from across five states. Activities have included:

-Arranging information sessions on guidance necessary to apply for the basics, i.e., immigration (Green Card), driver's license, medical coverage, etc.-Helping refugees find employment,

Being in a new land far from home, with a different culture, a different language, and different ways of doing things can overwhelm almost anyone

including identifying job opportunities and preparing resumés-Organizing a sports day for families in Charlotte (North Carolina) to foster camaraderie and banish loneliness-Gifting over 5,000 articles of school supplies to the children of the Bhutanese population in Charlotte-Providing household supplies to the elders of each family-Arranging basic transportation for everyday activities such as buying groceries, attending training sessions, and participating in social activities-Teaching formal spoken English classes for the elderly

Conferences, Retreats & Reflection

Ethics in Finance

The Conference on Ethics in Finance was held in Prashanti Nilayam on August 28-29 with the kind blessings of Bhagawan. The event made a major splash in the national media and was extensively reported in several important Indian newspapers.The genesis of this conference goes back two years, when an alumnus working in the Reserve

Bank of India (RBI) prayed to Swami for an opportunity to bring policy makers and key players in the Indian financial sector to have an audience with Him. The appropriate time came this year, when the whole world, and the financial sector in particular, underwent a deep crisis. Bhagawan gave His blessing for this initiative in March. His timing to underline the urgent need for introspection within the financial sector was spot on. The Sri Sathya Sai University decided to host the seminar on ethics in finance in the Prashanti Nilayam campus. The RBI Governor was the keynote speaker and the conference was scheduled for August. About twenty-five alumni from Mumbai and Bangalore took part in organizing the activities connected with the conference. They led the discussions with the university, and helped extend invitations to the delegates, fine-tune the agenda and discussion panel topics, and co-ordinate the logistics for the delegates.As the date for the conference drew closer, Bhagawan Himself took on the role of the perfect host, taking care of all aspects of the conference

including making suggestions on such small matters as the quality of the bedding for delegates and the variety of food items offered in the menu.

.Of the 28 delegates who attended, a majority were visiting Prashanti Nilayam for the first time. There were senior officers from well known and respected banks:,Mr. K V Kamath from ICICI, Mr. R Sridharan from SBI, Mr. Aditya Puri from HDFC Bank, Ms. Kalpana

The conference eventually evolved from a prayer initiated by alumni to a function hosted by Bhagawan Himself

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Morporia from J P Morgan, and Mr. Uday Kotak, among others. Bhagawan treated ach delegate as an honoured guest; in fact, many among them remarked they had never experienced so much peace and the feeling of being at home anywhere else.While the conference proceedings are well

documented in Sanathana Sarathi and the Sai organization's website, there were a few items of note that demonstrate how deeply Swami touches the hearts of people who have experienced Him for the first time.

Hospitality: The entire Ashram and the University went out of their way to make the delegates feel welcome and at home. The absence of commonplace luxuries such as air conditioning, television, etc. did not cause them even a moment of inconvenience. The delegates were honoured guests in the Lord's home and treated befittingly.

Devotion at work: The most emotional part of the entire conference, besides interacting with Swami, was the visit to the Super Specialty Hospital. Most of the delegates returned teary eyed after the visit, wonder-struck at the love and affection showered on the patients at no cost to their families, with the only objective being that of selfless service.

Interactions with people: Apart from the formal panel discussions and functions, the delegates interacted closely with students and senior officials of the Central Trust. These interactions were spontaneous and unrehearsed. Many of the guests had questions about the running of the organization and the motivation behind the attitude of service without motive.

The delegates left Prashanti Nilayam full of warmth and admiration, marveling that that there exists a place where people really practise the concept of “Athithi Devo Bhava”. Many of them returned to their homes promising to come back more often.

Darshan, Sparshan and Sambhashan: Of course, this was the highlight of the entire function and the real reason why all delegates attended the conference. Bhagawan was full of grace, bounty and love towards the delegates. He gave opportunities to most of the delegates to have padanamaskaram, made each one of them feel welcome, and directed His divine discourse at them, providing answers to questions they had in the deepest recesses of their minds, questions they had never articulated before. It was one of those rare moments when one could see these powerful men and women completely off-guard and behaving like children in the presence of the Lord.

Sarva Dharma Sammelan, Noida

In the northern plain of Noida, alumni undertook key responsibilities in organizing health camps and in conducting a “Sarva Dharma

Sammelan,” a unique conference on the unity of religions. Learned and eminent speakers from different faiths shared their wisdom with the audience and underscored the fact that each religion essentially stands on the common pillars of love and unity. The Sammelan focused on Christianity, Sikhism and Islam, showing each religion as a pathway to one God.

National Youth Conference

The first-ever National Youth Conference (NYC) in USA was blessed by Swami to be conducted from May 29-31 in Chicago, Illinois. More than 400 youth came together for this grand and historic event. Alumni played a big role in organizing the conference, and twenty-five of them attended the event in person. The wheels had been set in motion almost six months earlier and meticulous planning bore fruition in the form of flawless execution, making it a memorable experience for one and all.

.The organizing team worked with clockwork

Alumni helped in organizing the workshops, laying out the plan for the entire proceedings and ensuring the smooth flow of various events

precision and efficiency to help various young adults who were arriving both by air and road. The highlight of the first day was the introductory session by Prof. Anil Kumar, who engaged the attendees and answered with aplomb the various questions posed by them.The next morning, Sri Shitu Chudasama, the international youth coordinator, delivered the opening address. Dr. Michael Goldstein, the president of the International Sai Seva Organizations also sent his words of advice and wishes in a letter for the delegates. Then, the first guest speaker, an alumnus from the United Kingdom, addressed the morning plenary session and highlighted the theme of the conference – “We are One for SAI”. Youth facilitated several workshops focused on specific areas of Swami's teachings, in subjects including leadership development, developing “Self” confidence, and answering the question “Who Am I?” the last of which was facilitated by two alumni of Swami's school. These active and well-organized workshops were received quite well by the participants. Prof. Anil Kumar then delivered an energy-packed speech urging youth to take their roles in society and serve humanity. The evening session was surcharged with verve and vigour with an excellent cultural program of

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varied styles depicting the various aspects of the American culture and heritage, with spiritual undertones.

On the second day, a spirited group engaged itself in Nagar Sankeerthan announcing the arrival of the morning at the break of dawn. Everybody assembled in the prayer hall for the second day's main program. An alumnus from the Anantapur campus was the plenary speaker of the day. Her wonderful talk was followed by an inspiring symposium wherein youth from various parts of the country showcased the most innovative and ground-breaking service projects being undertaken in the United States, including

projects involving medical service, robotics and bone marrow donation.

On the final day, alumni led an interactive session called “The Way Forward”, where young adults engaged in brainstorming and interesting discussions on further developing existing service projects and implementing new projects across the country. The Way Forward Initiative, now the main youth initiative in USA, is led by an alumnus.. All in all, the retreat was a memorable and rejuvenating experience. Participants left filled with determination to engage themselves in seva and lead increasingly spiritual lives.

Alumni in Europe met over a weekend at Daerstetten in Switzerland for a spiritual retreat this fall. For alumni who live away from their homeland, such events are a great way to spend time together in contemplation of our Divine Lord, remembering His words and deliberating on service activities to be undertaken. More than 25 students along with families attended the retreat.The retreat began on a Friday evening with the reverberating chant of the holy Rudram. Alumni

Alumni Retreat - Switzerland

Alumni Retreat - North America

The first-ever Sai Alumni Meet of North America (titled 'Re-Connect') took place on October 3–4, 2009 in Chicago. Forty-nine alumni from across the United States and Canada, and ranging from batches as early as 1978 to the latest in 2008 attended the meet.

from Prashanti Nilayam

a few hours ago during evening darshan. The timing of the blessing was stunning, and left no one in doubt that it was Bhagawan's unique

Just as alumni finished watching a video of Bhagawan in the introductory session, they received news that Bhagawan had blessed the invitation card for the meet

woke up on Saturday to a fresh, dewy morning well before dawn and enthusiastically began the day with Suprabhatam and Vedam chanting. Sessions focused on “Everyday Spirituality: Lessons Learnt from Bhagawan” and recounting of the Lord's memories. After evening bhajans, alumni met in different teams to deliberate on service activities that could be taken up as a group. The post dinner sessions were lighter, and alumni watched wonderful videos of Swami in Kodai and refreshed memories of the Divine Love of Swami.

way of letting His presence and blessings be felt!Next, as part of a reflective session titled “Reconnecting with the Source”, alumni

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watched a video of Bhagawan's Q&A session with the students on Dec. 31, 2008. The group then reflected on selected quotes of Bhagawan and engaged in an active group discussion centered on three fundamental questions:

-What are Swami's expectations of alumni? -What can we do to come closer to that ideal? -Are we waiting for His permission, or is He waiting for us to act?The proceedings touched upon several themes over the course of two days:-“Giving back to the Institute” focused on identifying and building ways in which the North America alumni could support their alma mater in an organized manner. -Planning for the 2010 Alumni Meet in Prasanthi Nilayam. A number of creative ideas for the cultural program before Bhagawan were shared and discussed. - “Supporting the Sai Organization”: This session explored more ways in which alumni

could serve in the Sai organization. Participants who have been office bearers in the Sai organizat ion shared their experiences. - “Serving the Community” centered on various projects undertaken by alumni across the globe, including the Zambia Sai School project and the Easwaramma High School project. This was followed by a brainstorming session that explored service projects the group could undertake.

-Finally, participants shared beautiful stories of personal interaction with Bhagawan, of memorable words of divine wisdom and gestures of divine love. Alumni also performed a soul stirring music program that was attended by the local Chicago Sai community. All participants wholeheartedly agreed to make this meet an annual feature. The next alumni meet is set to be held in Boston in 2010.

Special Projects

iDo - Individual Social Responsibility at D&B TransUnion

Alumni have played a key role in the genesis of iDo, an individual social responsibility program to practice integration of human values in business and personal lives. iDo is an initiative that has been instituted under the auspices of D&B TransUnion ADSL, a global information products and consulting organization based in Chennai. The initiative seeks to institutionalize social service activities in a way that encourages each associate of the organization to contribute to chosen social causes.

. The appointed program manager of this initiative is an alumnus.

The US Ambassador to India, Mr. Timothy Roemer, was the chief guest at a function celebrating the second anniversary of the initiative - culminating two years of successful growth

education. As a first step, housekeeping staff and the security guards at D&B were encouraged to take up studies and educate themselves and their children. iDo also started a computer literacy program for those showing keen enthusiasm to learn these skills.“iDo” has granted scholarships to about thirty children and this number is set to increase this year:l Total spending focused on elementary school

education (52%), college (30%) and high school education (18%) in that order

l In all, 57% of the spending focused on educating the girl child

l 45% of the funds were spent for education assistance of students in the age group 15-20 years; 17% towards children in the age group 10-15 years and remaining 38% spent for children aged less than 10 years

iDo has initiated tuitions for such children every weekend in the office premises, and also regularly monitors the progress of scholarship awardees.Alumni and associates have also met with the heads of more than half a dozen financially under privileged schools and will soon offer them support in the form of tutoring, arranging for computer literacy programs and providing English communication skills.Under the Medicare Program, iDo has

iDo launched some important initiatives during this period driven by the inspiration provided by Bhagawan:Educare: A prime objective of this effort was to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children who have a desire to complete their

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conducted two blood donation camps till date that saw huge participation from employees. During the camp in June, a total of 160 units of blood were donated for use in transfusion to children suffering from Thalassemia.

Greening the Environment: iDo has led an organizational initiative to do away with printing paper unless absolutely essential. All the paper used for printing is also recycled and reused. Other initiatives included a screening of the movie “An Inconvenient Truth” by Al Gore, and a slogan competition on environmental issues. The best entries from the latter were printed for

use as bumper stickers to spread awareness on these causes. iDo also organized a tree plantation activity at a nearby school and plans to expand this program to reduce the carbon footprint as much as possible.As a part of our other Sociocare initiatives, iDo has reached out in various ways to support children that are physically handicapped, orphaned, blind, HIV patients, as well as mentally retarded women, and women carrying HIV. techSAI, an acronym for Technology for Social Applications and Innovation, is a key initiative launched during this period. iDo members came across many under-funded schools and 'not-for-profit' organizations that were struggling with outdated software tools and applications. techSAI aims to serve their need. This initiative is one of its kind, as not many software organizations encourage the idea of employees voluntarily spending time in developing software applications for social causes, free of cost. iDo has developed seven software applications in the last one year. These efforts would be valued at over US $50,000

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Sharing and caring – the musical way (Alumni Band seva)

'Life is a song, sing it.'For the alumni band, events have shaped out in a fashion that have helped them savour the rewards of living out this famous saying of Bhagawan. The alumni band's debut performance took place on the morning of Jan 1, 2007, in Bhagawan's divine presence. It took a year and a half more, however, to commence sharing the joy of performing for society at large, especially for a noble cause.

On the evening of June 9, 2008 the band played tunes to the residents of Karunashraya, a home for terminally ill cancer patients in Bangalore. It was a heart-opener for all involved. The caretakers, nurses and patients all shone with visible love and joy after the performance. Alumni members learned that the patients, many of their bodies wasted by cancer, still had that one portion of their being beyond the reach of any disease. It was reflected in the glitter in their

eyes as they acknowledged a favourite tune; in the tap of their feet and fragile fingers which echoed timeless memories into their minds.Since then, the alumni band's performances have grown in two cities, Bangalore and Chennai. Alumni from cities as far as Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Mumbai have participated in these performances. However, individual performances are also done on a purely voluntary basis.

In these performances, the objectives are two-fold – firstly, to leverage musical abilities and make a positive difference to people's lives, and secondly, to remain in touch with the instruments and music. In doing so,

, and learned that music truly is a universal language of the heart. Lessons of LoveIn Chennai, while performing in an orphanage, band members had second thoughts about performing a peppy Hindi number before Tamil-speaking kids. But once the song was on, language took the backseat and the kids surprised them with delightful whoops of glee. Band members also learned that there is no dearth of talent or ability. In the same orphanage was a child whose height barely matched the height of the audio speakers arranged for the performance. But the little boy seemed a natural as he rendered a breezy song in a manner that would have drawn the envy of any professional singer. Yet another time, the band was performing at a village school. While playing a 'sophisticated' composition of the Greek composer Yanni, band members were surprised to notice village kids and old people alike

the band members have received much more than they could ever give

keeping perfect time to an unusual beat structure and appreciating the nuances of western classical music!

The band has performed in orphanages and welfare centers for handicapped, in schools for the blind and the so-termed downtrodden. Everywhere they have performed, they are humbled by the spirit of service and sacrifice of the audience. All of this is due to the silent assistance provided from many quarters, including members of the alumni music and bhajan group. Alumni all over help the band with logistics and transport. Family members of the alumni band help with photography and the serving of snacks and goodies to the audience wherever the band perform. The children of alumni band members also complement their performances with their own contributions like a magic show, for example. Complete strangers rent out instruments at very nominal rates, thus enabling the alumni band to engage in service that is truly making a difference in people's lives. As the band members hold their instruments and play, they realize that they themselves are nothing but instruments in His hands. And in His hands, all of our lives become music whose leitmotif is nothing but Pure Love.

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Dear boys,

Wish you a happy and peaceful New Year.

What is the happiest day of your life? All are happy days to a person of true knowledge. Happiness is an internal conscious experience which comes as an effect of the extinction of mental or physical desire. The lesser is the desire, the greater the happiness, so that perfect happiness consists in the destruction or satisfaction of all desires in the absolute being. Life is an experience meant to train the individual for a higher, deeper and expanded state of existence through the experience of the results of the action. The aim of everybody’s life is the attainment of complete perfection in the Spiritual Absolute.

Prema is not an illusion. It is a reality and actuality for these who have realized oneness in life.

What is man’s dearest possession apart from his life? One’s dearest possession is one’s own true Self and there is no permanently dear thing apart from that.

God is great, all others are mere dust. God only is real and great. Everything else is unreal and valueless. I go further to say that God only exists and there is nothing second to Sai (God).

With blessings,

Baba.

mail@saistudents.org

In one salutation to thee, my God,

let all my senses spread out and touch this world at thy feet.

Like a rain-cloud of July

hung low with its burden of unshed showers

let all my mind bend down at thy door in one salutation to thee.

Let all my songs gather together their diverse strains into a single current

and flow to a sea of silence in one salutation to thee.

Like a flock of homesick cranes flying night and day

back to their mountain nests

let all my life take its voyage to its eternal home

in one salutation to thee.