How do we ask for forgiveness?
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Question
How do we ask for forgiveness, like what Mr. Isaac Tigrett explained today? Could You please tell us the procedure?
Public Satsang at Sai Ananda Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia- 11th August 2017
Swami: You see, it’s a very fundamental question. All of this is in place because God was lonely – all by Himself. He wanted somebody to love Him and He wanted somebody to love, just like a mother does. A mother wants to give birth to a child. When you ask why she is going to undergo suffering for nine months, going through all kinds of physical and mental issues –so much pain – and ask about the need for it, what will the mother answer? She wants to see herself in that child, wants to love the child, and wants the child to love her.
That was the whole purpose that man was created: so that he can love God and God can love man but, unfortunately, when the child forgets this basic truth and gets into all kinds of things and hurts the mother, that is when the trouble begins. The purpose of our lives – why this whole Creation happened – is because God wanted to love Himself in so many forms and wanted all these forms to love Him. When you go back to the basic, fundamental principle of pure love, and see God in yourself and in everyone else, then you start enjoying the whole game of life. When you deviate from the rules, the game becomes stressful. It becomes that which creates anxiety and difficulties. That is why I am teaching you to return to the very fundamentals of this Creation, which is love – to be able to love others as divine, as gods; love yourself and love others. That is the whole purpose, which is a very beautiful experience.
The truth is, all these complications are your creation. When you simply go by the rules, there is no complication. When you follow traffic rules, there are no complications, and no accidents on the road.
The moment one person starts deviating from the rules, then there is confusion, commotion and accidents. That is why Swami is putting you back on the path of love, so that you can enjoy being here, enjoy loving others and enjoy being loved by others. Then all of them will be able to love God. That is the purpose.
Is it important in our modern society to learn and understand Sanskrit?
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Question
Many times, while reading translations, I get the impression that it’s not a perfect translation. Is it important in our modern society to learn and understand Sanskrit?
Public Satsang at Sai Anandam, Singapore – 8th August 2017
Swami: Sanskrit is the language of the gods. The first thoughts that came to the rishis, which they placed into words were in Sanskrit. It is good to learn Sanskrit because you can understand things clearly with the first reading or experiences of the language. It is a very beautiful and very logical language. There is no harm in learning Sanskrit. It will remove from the mind the issue of confusion and misunderstanding; therefore, it is good. If you decide to teach yourself another language, there is nothing more beautiful than the Sanskrit language, which is so precise, so logical, so beautiful and so rhythmic that it is almost musical. That is the language of Sanskrit.
If you learn Sanskrit, it is not a problem. Do learn a new language. If you still cannot learn, despite trying, then refer to two or three translations that touch your heart and appeal to you, and work with those. That is very important. However, if you do not know a language, do not try to preach it to others – that is very dangerous. When you do not know a language and you speak of it, you can twist and change its meaning.
Knowing the language is very important. Without knowing, chanting like a parrot may just change the meaning.
There’s a great Thyagaraja song – do you know it? Thyagaraja sang to Rama, “Ne pogadakunte neekemi kodavu Rama?” It means, “If I don’t praise You, what are You going to lose, Rama? You are going to lose nothing if I don’t praise you.”
Another person sang it as, “Ne pakoda tinte neekemi kodhavu?” That means, “If I eat pakodas, what is your problem?” (Laughter) In Telugu, ‘pagadu’ means ‘to praise’, whereas ‘pakoda’ refers to a fried snack.
See, the whole meaning changes if you do not know the language. Therefore, it is better you learn and then chant. Understand first and chant after, which is very good if you cannot teach yourself the whole language. Otherwise, learn from scholars who know it well, or use two or three translations where you can compare and learn from them.
Ultimately, the meaning should touch your heart. It is important to teach yourself another language. Then too, if it is a language like Sanskrit, the mother of all languages, there is nothing like it.
Should we still do havan (fire sacrifice)?
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Public Satsang at Sai Anandam, Singapore – 8th August 2017
Swami: Definitely! Haven is not just about putting something into the fire. It is a sense of gratitude, as Swami always says. During the Athi Rudra Maha Yagna, we were putting kilograms and kilograms of ghee, milk and precious things into the havan. Those who did not understand the significance thought that we were wasting a lot of precious articles by burning them in the fire. Swami answered this question very beautifully. He said, “Some people think, ‘What a waste! Putting all these precious things into the fire. Those edibles could have been given to some poor and hungry people. That much money could have been used to help ten children.’ However, to achieve anything in this world, two things need to come together: God’s grace and human effort. Human effort alone cannot achieve everything. God’s grace has to join in. How do you get God’s grace? You have to please God. How do you please God? By expressing your gratitude.”
Then, He further explained, “All these gods, such as Ganesha, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva – where do they reside? They all reside in the subtle. They are energy forms. How do you send your gifts to them, as a mark of gratitude? Suppose you have to give a gift to your friend. You will buy it from the market, wrap it nicely and hand it over to your friend. He will accept and use it. However, how do you send gifts to the gods, who are in the energy form? You have to convert matter into energy. All the sthoola or physical gifts have to be converted into the sookshma, the subtle – only then will it reach them. That is the way they accept your gifts. This is done by putting the gifts of these articles into the sacred fire, which transforms them from matter to energy, so that it can then reach the respective gods. Fire is the postman which carries all your gifts to the recipients. Fire converts the physical into the subtle, and that is how everything reaches the gods – and the gods are there to receive the offerings.”
That is how we have been worshipping gods – by offering them precious gifts. For that matter, lighting a candle in front of Jesus is also an offering. It is a way of expressing our gratitude.
One day, Vijay Sai Sir asked Swami, “We have our family deity as Balaji in our village, but the Lord is omnipresent. Can I go and offer my worship in the nearby temple, or do I have to go only to my family temple, which is quite far?” Swami said, “If you are using water services, and you are also using electricity services from the government, would you pay the electricity bill in the water department and the water bill in the electricity department? You wouldn’t do that! The electricity bill must be paid in the electricity department and the water bill must be paid in the water department. Likewise, there is a particular god who is looking after you, and so you have to pay your gratitude only to that god. You cannot skip going to that temple just because it is too far. That is just laziness! You have to follow certain rules and respect the traditions.”
So the next question is: What happens to this concept with respect to Swami? Sometimes, we say, “Swami, You are everything and we offer it to You.” Swami has said that that is fine, as long as it comes from the bottom of our heart. You can meet the deputy commissioner and get your work done in the government, but suppose you know the Prime Minister very well. Then, you can directly write to the Prime Minister and he will forward it to the concerned deputy commissioner any which way. So, when we write our request to Swami, Swami directs it to whoever it is meant for. If it is a health problem, He will probably direct it to Shiva. If it is a financial matter, He will probably direct it to Lakshmi. He will direct it to the respective gods it is meant for. Swami respects them a lot. He performs so many Bhoomi Poojas and other Poojas wherein He follows the traditions. He knows and I know. I have seen these beings personally; they exist everywhere. They receive the offerings we
offer to them.
I will tell you a very recent experience. We were doing a Bhoomi Pooja in Gulbarga. We were digging the earth while Swami was standing there and telling us, “See, this is a way to express gratitude. You pray to Mother Earth, saying, ‘O Mother! You are so compassionate. You are allowing us to build our home or our institution on You, bearing the brunt of our digging and hurting You. Yet, like a Divine Mother, You are bearing all this for our sake.
We are so grateful to You. We offer You our gratitude.’ That is why pooja is done,” He said. At that moment, when Swami was pouring milk and curds into the earth, I saw a one-foot tall lady pop out of the earth. She was Mother Earth, and She was getting drenched in the milk and curds flowing on top of Her. She was like a small idol to which we were doing abhishekam, but She was alive; She was moving. I saw that happen when the offerings were falling on Her. So I know that it reaches its proper destination. Every god has their own preference. If you want to please Ganesha, give Him ladoos. If you want to please Shiva, give Him bilva leaves; if you want to please Vishnu, give Him tulsi (holy basil); if you want to please Lakshmi, give Her chandan (sandalwood). Every god or goddess has their likes and dislikes, and we have to respect that. This is very important.
When receiving guidance, how do we know if it is God talking to us?
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Question
When receiving guidance, how are we to be clear that it is God talking to us?
Boston, USA – 16th June 2019, Youth Meet
Madhusudan Sai: It’s a very pertinent question, I had this problem in the beginning, because sometimes when Swami said certain things, I would think, ‘Is it Swami or is it my mind that is speaking? Is it something that I wanted to hear, and so I am hearing it?’
I asked Swami this question once, “Swami how do I know it is You and You alone, and not my mind or my imagination driving this?”
He said, “Do not go by what is happening in your head, go by what is happening in your heart. Do you feel that peace, do you feel that calm, do you feel that rest? If yes, then it is Me.” Sometimes, because we’re attached to an idea, because we want to hear the answer that we want, we come out of meditation more disturbed that when we went in. That is because we were pursuing a certain idea, a certain answer and unless we got that, we were not willing to get up from our meditation.
One day, a boy asked Swami, “Swami, how do I meditate? How do I talk to You every day when I go to the altar and sit down there?” Swami said, “Why is it necessary to talk to Me? Why can you not just sit quietly? If I need to talk to you, I will talk to you.” There is a deep secret in what Swami told that boy. Most of us think that every time we enter our prayer room, we ought to speak to Swami and Swami ought to speak to us. If we have a huge problem at hand, we feel that we must get an answer immediately. However, we fail to realise that He may not be willing to speak to us because He knows we are not ready to follow His guidance.
We may have come with a lot of expectations, so He may choose not to speak and remain quiet. It has happened many times, and even now when I go to Swami, to get an answer to a question, He sometimes does not answer. Then I know that it’s not the right time. If He is not answering and you force your way too far, in desperation to find an answer, your mind may play games to satisfy your urge to know the answer to your question. A surgeon finds it difficult to operate on his own child due to his attachment, but is perfectly fine operating on another person’s child. Similarly, when you are attached to either your problem or someone else’s problem, then you end up going to Swami with your head full of preconceived notions, and your mind will surely play up.
If you are going with complete calm, complete peace and complete detachment, then you are there only to listen to what He has to say. You are not there to ask Him to reinforce your decision. Then the answers will come spontaneously and the only testimony to it being genuine will be the peace that you experience inside. When you come out of the meditation, you will feel so relaxed, so calm and so happy. Whereas, if you are still agitated or disturbed, or if you are not happy after the meditation, then you know that you haven’t experienced Swami. When you are in doubt, stay out. That’s what we say in the stock market, too! (Laughter) When I am in doubt, I don’t open my mouth.
Only when I am calm enough, when I detach myself from my ideas, do I know that the answer will be right. Whatever be the answer, whether it is favourable or unfavourable, pleasant or unpleasant, I simply convey the message. So, when you are in doubt, you really don’t know if it is Swami or your mind, you are still agitated and not at peace, just keep quiet. That’s the best thing to do. When you are again at peace, when you are capable of connecting, then it’s the right time to go back to Swami.
Swami makes it all look so easy, He makes it look like child’s play, that anybody can connect to God, anytime, anywhere. No doubt, God is available to us 24/7, but we need to be in a certain state of mind to be in communion with Him. He makes it sound so easy, that many people take it for granted, in the sense that many just think it’s their right to speak to God, and Swami ought to answer them whenever they ask a question – but it does not happen that way. We need to be very humble, we have to be so silent and still when we go and sit in our shrine room. If He chooses to speak, we will get our answer, otherwise not. If He doesn’t speak, just wait for some time and don’t get agitated or impatient. I have been very careful. Even today, when there is an iota of doubt, when I am not feeling at peace inside, I don’t open my mouth. I know it can lead to confusion and it may not be true, so I just keep quiet. A day or two later, when I understand the problem completely and have no attachment to it, then I go back to Him, and whatever He says after that is the right decision.
How can we hear you more clearly in our hearts?
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Question
Sometimes, there is a battle between the mind and the heart. How can we be clear in those moments, so that we can hear You more clearly in our hearts?
Public Satsang at Newport Coast, California – 23 June 2017
Swami: The only time you go wrong is when you forget God. If you keep remembering God all the time, you cannot go wrong. It can happen sometimes, especially with the ego which has not yet been tamed, which has not been brought to a good understanding of how it should be. Sometimes ego arises and God is forgotten. What you can do in such times is to just leave, sit down in a quiet corner and breathe deeply. The breath and the mind are closely connected. If you breathe slowly, your mind will calm down. When evil rises, anger rises, jealousy rises, all the negative qualities rise, the breath starts going faster and faster – but, when you are calm, peaceful and surrendered, you breathe very slowly.
What you should immediately do in such situations, is to go to a corner away from the company in which you have developed this ego. Go away and then breathe deeply. What does the breath say? It says, “Soham, Soham, Soham – I am God, I am God, I am God.” Focus on that. ‘I am God, I am God. Can God think like this? I am God, I am God. Should God speak like this? I am God. Would God behave like this? I am God. Would God be like this?’
Go on thinking like that. Slowly, your mind will calm down, all the noise will disappear and the voice from within will be heard.
Immediately leave the company or situation which has caused the ego to rise, go to a quiet corner and perform this exercise. Sarvada sarvakaleshu sarvatra hari chintanam – all the time, always, everywhere, keep thinking of God. The moment you forget God, all the troubles begin. Once you remember God, where is the question of any trouble, or of any wrong things happening?
In everything, try to think, ‘What is God trying to teach me? What is God trying to do to me? What does He expect from me?’ Any number of situations might be difficult, but it is natural, is it not? When you study in the first class, you will be taught ‘ABCD’. When you go to the second, they will teach you how to write words, such as, ‘A-P-P-L-E – apple’. Then, when you go the third class, you must learn to write sentences, such as, “I want to eat an apple.” In the fourth class, you must write a story about apples. In the fifth class, they will tell you to not only write a story, but to write a poem about apples!
This way, you are prompted to learn more and more things. If you say, “I have studied in the first class and know the ABCDs, so I don’t want to study any further! I don’t want any tests! I don’t want any progress!” it would not be acceptable. In spirituality as well, you must progress. God will give you a small situation; perhaps, you may fail the first time. The next time, you may conquer it. When you have done so, He will give you a more difficult situation, which you must also overcome. This way, in every step, you must grow spiritually.
What happens in the physical world also happens in the spiritual world. Once you learn something, God will teach you the next lesson. Every time He is going to teach you the next lesson, He will give a small test to see whether the previous lesson has been learnt well or not. What is wrong in that? Whenever a lesson comes like that and a test follows, you must think to yourself, ‘God is sending me a test. I better be smart enough to get good marks and not fail!’ Truly speaking, God’s test will come as a surprise test, with no announcement. (Laughter) That is why I say, “Always be ready.” Always be ready for God.
Nobody knows when God will come, what He will teach or how He will test. He alone knows! Therefore, always be ready for God. Always be prepared. Every time a test comes, you should feel very happy. You should think, ‘God thinks I have learnt enough; that He is placing a test to check on it. If I pass this test, He will teach me much more. I will become wiser and more capable. That is a good thing!’ You should think this way even in the most difficult situations.
Why does it feel like duality always wins?
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Question
Though we try to see God in everything, and practise unity in diversity, there is always a feeling that duality wins. Could You please help us resolve this predicament?
Public Satsang at Sai Ananda Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia- 11th August 2017
Swami: The nature of the world is duality. It is natural for water to flow down a slope. To pump water upwards against a slope is difficult. Therefore, to experience diversity, duality or differences, is very natural for one with worldly vision and focus. Everyone heads that way, as that is the easiest thing to do and the easiest way to drift. However, one who wants to swim against that tide towards unity must work harder, taking a stand against the general principals by the vision that you develop as to worldly desires, selfishness, individualities and ego, which force you to observe the differences.
What should happen is that you should hold onto the principles for which you have stood, not giving in to the lower ideas of division, differences and dualities. It is up to you to experience, understand and proceed with these feelings that Swami has spoken about. If you hold on to the truth and dharma, knowing for sure that dharma will protect you, so that you are not harmed, it will see to it that the right thing is done, even if it happens gradually or eventually. Holding on to dharma is very important. If you believe in unity, if you believe in togetherness, then hold on to those feelings and do not give into narrow‐minded, selfish differences that others may preach.
Truly, if you are strong in your conviction, things will change for you. Do not give in too easily to other people’s ways of thinking or pressure. That is why you must stand for your principles and values. Tigrett was saying the same thing. Some start with great idealism, but eventually give in because of peer pressure to fit in, resulting giving up of idealism and enthusiasm, which is not correct. You must be willing to even stand alone, if you are right.
What if others are not with you? Even if you stand alone, being right, you must stay in this way, not turning wrong for the sake of joining the many. That is where you stand apart. Think like Jesus and stick to the principals that Swami teaches. Obviously, sooner or later, you will see the difference – even in your surroundings, even in the people around you.
What is the point of becoming enlightened?
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Question
I understand that the purpose of our lives is to break the karmic cycle and do good deeds to become enlightened – but, once we become enlightened, what then is our purpose? What is the point of becoming enlightened?
Public Satsang at Sai Anandam, Singapore – 8th August 2017
Swami: Just now I said that, once you are enlightened, you will help others become enlightened, whilst still being engaged in good actions. By being an Enlightened One, you will help others. When you graduate from school, you can become a teacher, teaching and helping others graduate. That becomes the purpose of your life. For as long as God wants you to serve, He will give you opportunities to help others redeem themselves.
Why was karma and enlightenment included in the divine design?
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Question
Talking about many lives, the circle of karma, enlightenment, and all these things. I want to know, how and why this whole design is in place?
Public Satsang at Sai Anandam, Singapore – 8th August 2017
Swami: You see, it’s a very fundamental question. All of this is in place because God was lonely – all by Himself. He wanted somebody to love Him and He wanted somebody to love, just like a mother does. A mother wants to give birth to a child. When you ask why she is going to undergo suffering for nine months, going through all kinds of physical and mental issues –so much pain – and ask about the need for it, what will the mother answer? She wants to see herself in that child, wants to love the child, and wants the child to love her.
That was the whole purpose that man was created: so that he can love God and God can love man but, unfortunately, when the child forgets this basic truth and gets into all kinds of things and hurts the mother, that is when the trouble begins. The purpose of our lives – why this whole Creation happened – is because God wanted to love Himself in so many forms and wanted all these forms to love Him. When you go back to the basic, fundamental principle of pure love, and see God in yourself and in everyone else, then you start enjoying the whole game of life. When you deviate from the rules, the game becomes stressful. It becomes that which creates anxiety and difficulties. That is why I am teaching you to return to the very fundamentals of this Creation, which is love – to be able to love others as divine, as gods; love yourself and love others. That is the whole purpose, which is a very beautiful experience.
The truth is, all these complications are your creation. When you simply go by the rules, there is no complication. When you follow traffic rules, there are no complications, and no accidents on the road.
The moment one person starts deviating from the rules, then there is confusion, commotion and accidents. That is why Swami is putting you back on the path of love, so that you can enjoy being here, enjoy loving others and enjoy being loved by others. Then all of them will be able to love God. That is the purpose.
What is the purpose of Sports Meet? - January 07, 2020
Unless we keep the hearts clean, we cannot experience the presence of God, the reflection God in ourselves and in others. The dirt of Ahamkara, dust of Mamakara clouds this reflection and does not allow God to reflect in the hearts properly. All the efforts should be to purify one’s inner self, one’s heart of all the ego and attachments. All these functions like the Sports Meet is not just an external event to celebrate the coming together of several campuses under the umbrella of these institutions. It is an internal transformation process not the external action. All the children and the staff from all campuses have come with great anticipation, great enthusiasm by practicing whatever they had to practice for the event because they all want to dedicate and offer it to Swami without any show or pomp, without any exhibitionism. They just want to do it so that Swami will be happy. They have no other selfish motive behind all that they are practicing and coming. There is only a sense of worship in all the work that they are trying to do. All through the year whatever little dust and dirt gets accumulated in the mirrors of your heart, this one sports meet cleans it, washes it and makes it clear again. Again, they go back pure in their hearts reflecting God in all His glory because they have been freed of all the dust and dirt of all ego, attachments that they might have accumulated over the year.
God always wants to be with His devotees; devotees always want to be with God. That was the only purpose of the creation. Everything else got added on with passage of time. The very reason why I and you exist so that we can stay with each other, we can be with each other and enjoy each other’s proximity. The only purpose of creation for God was to create another like Him so that they can love each other, they can be with each other.
In our institution, we are here only mainly to love each other. Everything else, the studies, the sports, all the things are secondary, they will happen by and by. Keep yourself pure and clean like pure mirrors which will reflect back God. That is My purpose of education. All other things about education is secondary. (The children) should see God within and without everywhere and live in that feeling of God all the time. Then they will always be happy wherever, whichever part of the world they are, whatever be the situation, our children will always be happy because they have found the secret to happiness which is to feel God within, which is to feel God without. And that is possible only with purity of heart. Develop that purity, develop that love.
Watch the full discourse
Divine Discourse: January 07, 2020, Satsang at Premamrutham, Muddenahalli
Divine Visit – Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani International Centre For Child Heart Care & Research – November 28, 2019
Morning
The Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital, Palwal, Haryana celebrated its third anniversary and Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba graced the occasion with His presence, along with few dignitaries, Government officials, and guests who had come from around the world.
The morning programme started with Sri Arvind Thiagarajan, CEO of HD Tech, who spoke about, and demonstrated the use of HD Steth, a monitoring device, built on the command of Sri Sathya Sai Baba under the able mentorship of late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. He mentioned how Swami had suggested an addition to the stethoscope, which eliminated a problem that was reported by various doctors, which has helped the evolution of the device in a better way. He also gave few details of the advanced version of the device which is being worked upon by him and his team. A stethoscope was presented to Dr Pradeep Sharma, Chief Medical Officer, Palwal.
The next speaker was Dr Pradeep Sharma, who detailed about the Rashtriya Bal Swasthaya Karyakram, a project of Govt. of India, and how free monitoring and treatment is provided to children till the age of 18 years. He mentioned that out of 23 heart surgeries done this year for Haryana, 20 were done by Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital. He also added that a program in which new-born children will be screened at hospitals using the HD steth, is being planned.
Mr Yashpal Yadav, District Commissioner of Palwal, spoke next and extended his congratulations to the entire team of Sai Sanjeevani for the commendable work. Ms Kavita Narayan, Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, offered greetings and congratulations sent by various departments of the Government for Sai Sanjeevani. She mentioned that they are in talks with National Board of Examiners and College of Physicians and Surgeons, so that the knowledge and expertise of Sai Sanjeevani could be shared among others.
The Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital, Palwal, Haryana celebrated its third anniversary and Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba graced the occasion with His presence, along with few dignitaries, Government officials, and guests who had come from around the world.
Mr Onkar Joshi, Institution Development Officer, Palwal Hospital talked next about the various educational and training programmes initiated by the facility. He mentioned an MoU signed with the Govt. of Afghanistan, Ministry of Health, through which doctors and surgeons are being trained on a rotation basis at Sai Sanjeevani Hospital, which will eventually lead up to setting up a cardiac treatment facility in Afghanistan. He invited one such trainee, Dr Hanif Talal from Afghanistan, to share his experience, who thanked everybody for the training he was receiving. Mr Joshi also mentioned an MoU with a Malaysian University, which will include a medical mission to Malaysia to train doctors and nurses.
Sri C Sreenivas, Chairman of Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust spoke next, and thanked everybody for their commitment and time to materialise the dream of Swami, where everybody is serving the world with love and compassion. Sri Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Padma Vibhushan and Sarod Maestro, spoke briefly, thanked everybody, and extended his best wishes to the entire team.
Swami delivered His diviner message through Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. He spoke about Sai Sanjeevani, Palwal, as being the confluence of government, organisation and society, that will bring about change and impact. He appreciated the work done by the doctors and the entire Sai Sanjeevani team for their dedication and commitment and the work they do. He also mentioned about various educational and training programmes being launched by the Hospital, and also revealed about the Post Graduate integrated programme in Pediatric Cardiology, which will offer training to the doctors for this field.
Dr Yogesh Shetty presented the vote of thanks, and the morning programme concluded with the National Anthem.
Evening:
The evening commenced with the chanting of the Sarva Devata Gayatri by the ladies staff of the hospital. Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai blessed the team and posed for a group photograph with them. A short video was shown about the conception of Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals. Thereafter, a musical presentation comprising of songs and Bhajans were offered by the hospital staff. The group offered many pieces in various languages including Telugu, Hindi and English. The presentation was very moving and suffused with love. Bhagawan, the source and witness of everything, responded to the prayers, and blessed everybody profusely and also posed for photographs.
This was followed by another small video showing the achievements of Divine Mother & Child Health Program carried out by the Palwal Hospital.
Everyone working at the Hospital was encouraged to say ‘we are saving a child,’ irrespective of what the person actually did – be it a cook, a watchman or a driver.
The first speaker of the evening was the senior-most surgeon of the hospital, Dr Krishan Manohar, who through his own inimitable style, posed as an Aayyappa devotee and presented 41 slides symbolically equalling the 41 steps of Sabrimala pilgrimage. He showed the mergence of Bhagawan’s message, the ancient stories about Gods, and also the actual work done by various doctors and team members.
Ms Aruna, the post-operative ward in-charge, spoke briefly in Hindi about her journey with Sai Sanjeevani, as to how in the beginning there were only OPDs and no surgeries, and how sceptic she was about her own capabilities of handling cardiac post-operative cases. But with the guidance and training, she submitted her confidence, and thanked everyone for the support.
The first fellowship of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani was conferred to Dr Praveen Dontineni, who underwent one-year training at the Hospital and now serves as an independent surgeon at the Hospital. He expressed his gratitude to his mentor, family, and also everybody who helped him through his journey. He mentioned that on Swami’s birthday this year, he completed his 100th independent paediatric cardiac surgery.
Sri Madhusudan Sai then blessed Dr Kishan Rao with senior residency completion certificate, and also blessed Dr Ikshudhanva for his contribution to the Hospital. Two brothers from Kerela, Shaun Chetta and Faizal Chetta, received certificates for completing their training as perfusionists.
Sri Umesh, originally from Bihar, living in Delhi, a patient, who underwent treatment at the Hospital spoke next. After nine months of surgery, he ran a 5 Km marathon defying all odds, for he had never run in his life due to his ailment. He spoke in Hindi and expressed his gratitude.
The next speaker was Sri C Sreenivas, who expressed his pleasure and gratitude towards the whole team and every single person who has been associated with the Hospital. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, fully manifest in Sri Madhusudan Sai, expressed His pleasure and pride as the whole team is working hard, day and night, to bring joy to the little hearts. He encouraged everyone working at the Hospital to say ‘we are saving a child,’ irrespective of what the person actually did – be it a cook, a watchman or a driver. He joyously mentioned that this occasion was not the third anniversary but 3,000 birthdays’ celebration because in the last three years 3,000 lives have been saved, at the Hospital in Palwal. He praised Sri C Sreenivas for his single-minded dedication towards the mission, and that he would be busy for the next three years as two more such hospitals will be established. He also assured that if a child who gets operated in the Hospitals needs help with his or her education, the Education Trust will take care of the needs, without any entrance exam or formality.
The Hospital also conducts Bal Vikas classes for underprivileged children of nearby areas, and Ms Annapoorna, a trained Kathak dancer and co-ordinator of DMCHP, trains them in dance. Under the guidance of Ms Annapoorna, the children presented dance recital on various songs as an expression of gratitude.
Sri Madhusudan Sai blessed all the children and also cut the cake marking the third anniversary of the Hospital. The programme came to a close with Mangala Aarti and dinner Prasadam.