Inauguration of Sri Sathya Sai Meenakshiniketanam – Girls’ Educational Campus, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu - August 01, 2021
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, out of His sheer love and compassion, envisioned to start a girls’ educational campus in the rural hinterlands of Dindigul, so that girl students can have access to quality education – both academics and spiritual, completely free of cost, which otherwise will be denied to these children, considering the economic background they come from.
On July 31, 2021, Swami started from Muddenahalli to Dindigul along with few handpicked guests. En route, Swami along with His entourage visited Mother Meenakshi’s temple at Madurai and paid obeisance to Mother Meenakshi and Sundareshwarar. That particular day, there was an overflood of crowd in the Meenakshi Temple, and hence the Goddess, out of the feeling of comradeship and courtesy towards the Divinity Personified Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, appeared to Him in His vision and requested Him to proceed to the Campus, where she will be waiting for His arrival.
Swami and His entourage travelled towards the Campus location at Batlagundu in Dindigul district, and reached there around mid-noon, where the Campus and its children stood like the decorated brides to receive with a little blush and much happiness, their Eternal Bridegroom – The Lord, The Divinity in the form of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. After a warm welcome by the students, staff and devotees gathered there, Swami, with His most selfless goodwill for all, inaugurated the Campus on August 01, 2021. He did not forget to pay His respects to Mother Meenakshi who confirmed Her presence in the Campus, and then went to the hall where the homā (fire ritual) was being performed and offered the pūrṇāhuti (concluding offering).
Swami graciously granted His darśana (auspicious sight) and saṃbhāṣaṇa (Divine Discourse) to all who had gathered. He, like a loving mother, spoke to the students of Sri Sathya Sai Meenakshiniketanam in Tamil as they don’t understand any other language other than their mother tongue. He made them understand the importance of education, especially for girl children.
He advised them to learn well using all the facilities of the school and use the knowledge acquired in service of the society in the coming future. Swami also emphasised teachers to take care of the children, as they are Mother Meenakshi herself in the form of students. Finally, at the end, Swami revealed His master plan by announcing that the Campus will grow to become an extension or branch of Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, where students can learn right from Grade Six till Research.
Infact, due to COVID restrictions imposed by the Government of Tamil Nadu, the inauguration was done in a simple manner with a small gathering of people. Nevertheless, Swami’s most important VIPs (Very Innocent Persons) – the little children of the Campus and their most treasured Lord were there and that made the occasion truly memorable.
BUILDING BHARAT - ONE RUPEE A DAY
The impact of good thought is infinite when it is translated into a good deed done consistently over a sustained period of time. It is not the size but the sincerity of the thought that can heal the world and build a better future for all.
The One Rupee App is a modern manifestation of the noble and time-tested practice of an Indian mother keeping aside a fistful of rice every day before cooking for the family to serve someone in greater need. This is our Indian way of being mindful and helpful to one another. A rupee a day, shared for the betterment of society, is the new digital way of living the same good old life of compassion and charity.
On the first day of the India Startup Festival, October 1 2022, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai launched the One Rupee App, a digital initiative by the One Nation Foundation.
Using this app, one rupee can be customised to serve the needy through free education, nutrition, healthcare and much more. One can also form and join online communities of like-minded people with shared ideas and interests on this app. Very soon, users will be able to unlock milestone achievements and earn rewards too.
As we look forward to building a better Bharat in the next 25 years, leading to the centenary celebrations of our Independence, a rupee a day would be our way of including everyone in this process of nation-building.
The India of our dreams is an India where no one is hungry, uneducated or unhealthy. Let us build our Bharat together, one rupee a day!
To get started:
- Download the app
- Choose a subscription plan (monthly, yearly or your preferred recurring pattern)
- Set up your bank/payment details
- Confirm the subscription
Presently, the subscription plans are available only to Indian donors/subscribers due to federal government regulations.
To know more about the One Rupee app and One Nation, visit the links given below
Be a Part of One Rupee Revolution!
India Startup Festival 2022 - Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli - October 01 and 02, 2022
The First Edition of the India Startup Festival (ISF) was held on October 1 and 2, 2022, at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli, Chikkaballapur, Bangalore. The festival saw the largest network of the best minds from the Startup ecosystem of India come together to redefine the future of the Startup Revolution in India. The event was graced by the presence and participation of 75+ investors, industry experts, mentors, speakers, new-age Startups, entrepreneurs, and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies from across the globe. The attempt was to explore, collaborate, relook at opportunities and thereby redefine the Startup revolution by supporting entrepreneurs and building a solid ecosystem to help them realise their full potential.
At the Inauguration of the Festival, Mr J A Chowdary, Founder, General Chair of ISF, welcomed the delegates. He presented the ideal of creating an ecosystem of togetherness and support and a vision of a new atmanirbhar Bharat.
Themed exhibitions, round table and panel discussions on critical areas like women empowerment, fintech, education, rural health and nutrition, knowledge sessions, pitches to investors and the opportunity to share, exchange and network with the best minds in the Startup space of India were some of the highlights of the event.
Blessing the event, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai urged all minds to work towards a new vision in the backdrop of their benefits reaching the lowest section of the pyramid in this nation, i.e., rural India. Sadguru insisted that this section of society has to be uplifted through education, healthcare, nutrition and skilling programmes because this is where the next generation of workforce, customers and consumers are. The success of a venture must be measured in terms of the impact it creates in society, in terms of the billion smiles it can deliver and not only in terms of a billion-dollar valuation. Calling the ashram a siddha sankalpa bhumi, Sadguru spoke of how anything that was decided in the ashram did happen. More than 200 million US dollars were spent in the last ten years in setting up five paediatric super speciality hospitals, a university, educational institutions and the world's largest morning nutrition program wherein one million children are served nutritious breakfast every day. And all of this could happen because people who believed in these causes came together. “Collaboration is the keyword; only when we collaborate can we celebrate the 100th year of India as a developed nation and not as a developing nation,” Sadguru said.
In conclusion, Sadguru provided venture capitalists with three key words as the vision for their companies --- the solutions provided by their ventures must be agreeable, affordable and accessible to rural India. “Ensure these, and I am sure you will be not just billionaires but trillionaires in times to come. Rural India is where all the wealth lies if you can tap into it.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Sri B N Narasimha Murthy, Chancellor, Sri Satya Sai University for Human Excellence, for his contributions to the field of education.
The largest Startup Festival in the country ended with a call for more rural innovation.
Other Highlights of the Festival
• Dr Velumani, Founder, Thyrocare, shared his knowledge with the delegates present.
• The festival was also virtually witnessed by more than 1.5 lakh delegates from across the globe.
• 1500+ StartUps under multiple heads participated in the StartUp pitch contest, where the top 100 were selected and invited to be at the festival to pitch their vision. From this group, the top ten made it to the recognised list who will be supported and mentored by the core group of ISF.
• Six unicorns and soonicorns were awarded for their exemplary work in employment generation and contribution to the country’s economic development.
• The symbolic unveiling of the CONNECT TO CAUSE programme.
• The launch of the One Rupee App.
• The launch of Gossip Corner – a women’s entrepreneurship programme.
Navaratri, Durga Puja and Maha Rudra Yajna - Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli - September 26 to October 05, 2022
Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli, witnessed the grand and glorious celebration of the Navaratri festival spread over ten days. The festivities began on the morning of September 26, 2022. The ashram reverberated with Divine vibrations from the religious homas and yagas as the festivities commenced with the Divine blessings of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. During this festival, spread throughout nine nights, in keeping with tradition, nine feminine aspects of the Divine Mother were revered and celebrated.
The celebrations began with the Sahasra Modhaka Ganapathi homa on day one to invoke the blessings of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and pray that the Navaratri celebrations be fruitful and blessed. And indeed, as willed by the Divine, over 20 homas were performed, propitiating different devatas and praying for the health and well-being of the entire world.
Every year, over the last few years, priests from Sringeri have been coming to Sathya Sai Grama to conduct the Navaratri homas and to pray for the health and well-being of the entire world, while priests from West Bengal have been performing Durga puja as an offering of love and gratitude to the Divine Mother.
The traditional kolu with nine steps was displayed at Hridaya Mandir, Satya Sai Grama. As per the Divine command, this year’s theme was the Bhagavatam, and various scenes like baala leela of Krishna, snippets from the Bhagavad Gita and the Vishwaroopa darshana were meticulously recreated.
Elaborate arrangements had also been made for Durga puja, which has now been recognised by UNESCO and is the first Asian festival to be listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Goddess Durga and her family were brought in from Kolkata and decorated with embellishments known as Dakeshaaj, a traditional art form of Bengal.
Hridaya Mandir was transformed into the temple of Dakshineshwar, with informative displays on various leaders of the Ramakrishna Ashram lining the hallways.
The nine forms of the mother Goddess or the navadurgas – Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Khushmanda, Skanda Mata, Katyayani, Kaalaratri, Maha Gauri and Siddhidatri – respectively were reverentially worshipped on each of the nine days.
To honour the Divine feminine, worship was offered to nine little girls through the kannika puja and to nine sumangalis or married women through the Suvasini puja on the fifth day of the festivities.
This period also saw the launch of the first edition of the India Start-up festival, wherein noted entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and several hundred budding businessmen from across the country participated. Almost every single person in attendance was moved and touched by the message of ‘Love All Serve All’, inspired by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai’s vision of rural upliftment and development aimed at building a better Bharat.
Also launched was the revolutionary One Rupee App and Walk for Peace initiative, which saw collective participation towards the health, education, and nutrition of children in need.
Indeed, the start-up festival gave the attendees a glimpse into the future – ushering in a new era in the mission, with so many more like-minded individuals being able to connect and commit to the cause.
The boy and girl students held the audience spellbound with the precision and clarity with which they chanted various shlokas and hymns from our scriptures at the beginning of the evening sessions. This included Swadhyaya Prashamsa from the taittiriya upanishad, bhusuktam, Narayana upanishad, the ishavasya upanishad, Gayatri Ganapaata, Devi suktam and verses from the mundaka Upanishad.
The evening programmes also included scintillating music, dance and theatre performances by various reputed groups and schools. The Kalakshetra Foundation put up two dance recitals, ‘Koorma Avataram’ and ‘Sri Rama Pattabhishekam’; a dance recital entitled ‘Agomoni’ was presented by the Ananda Shankar Centre For Performing Arts, West Bengal, led by Smt Tanusree Shankar ; a Yakshagana performance by the troupe Kalaadhara Yaksharanga Balagaa, entitled ‘Kamsa Vadhe’; flute recital by Dr B Vijayagopal accompanied by Sri Sumanth Manjunath on the violin, Sri Anoor Vinod Shyam on the mridangam and Sri Gopi Shravan on the morching; an enrapturing ensemble was presented by the Sai Symphony Orchestra, the largest symphony orchestra in India comprising students of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam Group of Institutions led by their teacher Mr Dimitris Lambrianos; Carnatic classical music recital by Padma Sri Smt Aruna Sairam and Group; ‘Strings Attached’, veena and violin recital by Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh and Vidwan R Kumaresh; a musical offering by students and staff of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam group of Institutions, along with renowned artistes from Mumbai. On the evening of the tenth and last day of the Navaratri festivities, the staff and students of the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence and Loka Seva Gurukulam presented an enthralling music performance as an offering to the Divine Mother. Both classical Carnatic and Hindustani devotional songs were offered. The songs celebrated Divine Mother’s power, majesty, splendour and infinite love.
The morning and evening sessions were graced by eminent personalities from various fields as special guests.
On the tenth day, Devi Baran was performed, bidding farewell to the Mother, and praying that she graces us with Her presence every year. The final Durga arati was offered, and the traditional ritual of sindoor khela was observed by married women. After that, the idols were taken in a procession for visarjan or immersion into the waters.
In the last four days of the festival, the Maha Rudra Yajna was performed, wherein 133 Rudra homas were completed along with 1,331 Rudra parayanams, culminating in the Maha Purnahuti. After the Maha Rudrabhishekam, Sadguru also blessed everyone present by sprinkling the holy water.
The priest explained the significance of the rituals, quoting a line in the Namakam, which prays to the Lord to lead us on the right path. He also remarked that under the guidance of Sadguru, the students of His institutions are true “Saraswati putras” as the knowledge gained in these institutions is being put to the right use for the welfare of the world, thus following the dictum atmano mokshartam jagat hitayacha.
In His Divine discourse at the close of the morning rituals on Dussehra, Sadguru said, “This is a holy place not because there are devotees present here; devotees who have a lot of love for God… All the Gods, too, are present here. In the last ten days, I have seen various Gods, Goddesses, Gandharvas and Yakshas here, just as I see you all here. .. When we prayed, requesting God to accept our prayers, puja and Seva, Mother Parvati and Parameshwara, as they were sitting in Kailash, gave Me their darshan and, with abhayahasta, blessed everybody saying – ‘we are here. I have always told Shiva, “Bhagavantha, Mother is always well dressed. Why don’t you too dress up well?” Thus when Shiva gave me darshan, He was dressed very well (shringara purita). Generally, He is bhasma bhushita. This is what I saw. Not only that, Shiva was wearing a turban (peta) on His head. Hence, I told them to put the peta on Shiva over there because He gave me darshan in shringara rupa adorned with many ornaments. There is no snake too around his neck today. He is adorned with garlands and ornaments. Let all prosper, let there be auspiciousness, and let there be the grace of Shiva on all. From here, let the spirituality and culture of Bharat spread everywhere.” With these words, Sadguru showered His blessings on all.
The Navaratri celebrations were, without doubt, a cleansing and spiritually uplifting experience for all – those who attended the various events and religious ceremonies physically and those who watched them online the world over. As Sadguru said in His Divine discourse at the conclusion of the festivities, the various rituals and homas must remind us to lead our lives as an offering to the Divine constantly.
Ten glorious years in the mission have passed thus far, and one can only imagine how much more glorious the coming years will be.
Foundation Laying Ceremony for a Free of Cost 400-Bedded Multi-Specialty Hospital - Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli - April 01, 2022
A new 400-bedded multi-specialty hospital has been initiated by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli, Karnataka. Instituted under the Prashanti Balamandira Trust, the hospital will provide medical care completely free of cost to the rural poor and needy. The hospital premises will also house a medical college that will offer completely free of cost medical education to the rural poor.
On April 01, 2022, Honourable Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister for Cooperation, Sri Amit Shah, along with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, laid the foundation stone for the hospital.
This is in keeping with the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Sri Narendra Modi’s call for greater participation of Private and Social Institutions to strengthen Medical Education in the country. This is particularly in the wake of the recent dislocation of Indian medical students from Ukraine and also to curtail the large number of students opting for medical education outside the country due to challenges of seat availability and affordability. The Prashanthi Balamandira Trust has taken this noble initiative to create and nurture committed and skilled doctors to serve the country’s remote geographies and populations.
The proposed new hospital will be located adjoining the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli, Karnataka. The Sri Sarla Memorial Hospital, a completely free of cost, 150-bedded multi-specialty hospital, has been rendering compassionate healthcare services to the needy sections of society. This hospital in unique in that it does not have a single billing counter anywhere in its premises. It was dedicated to the nation by the Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka Sri Basavaraj Bommai in August 2021. The proposed new 400-bedded hospital block will offer many more specialities, absolutely free of cost.
Following the Foundation stone laying ceremony, to commemorate this noble beginning, all the devotees, ashramites and students of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam of Institutions gathered at Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham Hall, Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli. Along with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai and Sri Amit Shah, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Shri Pralhad Joshi; Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri Basavaraj Bommai; Minister of Small Scale Industries and Municipal Administration of Karnataka, Shri MTB Nagaraj; Minister of Home Affairs, Government of Karnataka, Shri Araga Jnanendra, and Minister of Health and Family Welfare, and Medical Education, Government of Karnataka, Dr K Sudhakar were also present at the event.
The event commenced with vedic chants by the students. This was followed by a brief video clip showcasing the various service activities spearheaded by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai over the past 10 years. Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai has been carrying forward the mission of spirituality and service by furthering the cause of Sri Sathya Sai Baba through several humanitarian service projects in the fields of healthcare, nutrition, and education across 33 countries globally.
Sri B N Narasimha Murthy, Chief Mentor, Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam Group of Institutions, and Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, then delivered the introductory affress. Warmly thanking the Hon’able Home Minister Shri Amit Shah for gracing the occasion, Sri Narasimha Murthy said, “What the present Government is doing under the leadership of our Honourable Prime Minister and Home Minister will go down in history as absolutely spectacular and remarkable. They are not only bringing about material and economic advancement, but are giving a new direction to the cultural history of India. This is happening for the first time and historians will note that during this time the cultural history of India was being given a new turn.” Introducing Sri C Sreenivas, Chairperson of the Health and Education Trust, Sri Sathya Sai Group of Institutions, Sri B N Narasimha Murthy said, “Brother Sreenivas and I have lived with, worked with and have served Baba for more than 40 years. Sri Sathya Sai Baba has visited this institution 29 times between 1978 and 2009.
“With his advent, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai has been taking Baba’s glorious work forward. Tremendous work has happened -- the establishment of 26 educational campuses in Karnataka in the last 10 years, 4 multi-specialty hospitals across the country, centres in more than 30 countries, 12 new ashrams have been established for the propagation of the immortal message of India – all under the inspiration of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. The UGC committee that came to visit our educational campus wrote, ‘In India, for the first time, completely free education including boarding and lodging and all facilities are being given at the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence’. The ground breaking ceremony for the 400-bedded hospital has taken place and the bhoomi pooja for the Sri Sathya Sai Rajeshwari Academic Block for the medical college was done by the Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sri Basavaraj Bommai. The university is taking bold strides to open a medical college completely free of cost for the first time in the history of India and for the first time in the history of the world.” Sri Murthy once again thanked all the esteemed dignitaries for having graced the occasion.
Sri Amit Shah was invited to present 'Chiranjeevi Bhava' (Gift of Life) certificates to two mothers with their newborn babies, and to two children who were treated for their heart defects at Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital.
Speaking at the event, Sri Amit Shah said, “The vision of selfless service that I have seen here, speaks volumes. The strength and the futuristic vision with which selfless service activities are being carried out here with no desire for name or fame, with only the welfare of the entire nation in mind, with total surrender, makes me fall short of words. Taking inspiration from Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings, this institution at Sathya Sai Grama is carrying out a mahā yajña of sevā. Today, the ground-breaking ceremony of the 400-bedded hospital took place. Running a free hospital is not easy. It brings with it a lot of challenges. However, I see that the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital that is completely equipped with upgraded facilities and technology is offering all services free of cost! I am extremely happy to know that the institution is marching towards commencing a free medical college for students. This will be the first-of-its-kind in India. This effort will definitely find success.”
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai then addressed the audience. “Indian culture teaches that everyone prays for the welfare of everyone else. 'vasudaiva kutumbakam’, the concept of a global family, is an Indian idea. Today, the Honourable Union Minister of Home Affairs, Sri Amit Shah has graciously laid the foundation stone for the 400-bedded multi-speciality hospital. A few months back, the Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr Basavaraj Bommai dedicated the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital to the service of the nation. As on date more than 19,000 patients have been treated completely free of cost at this hospital. In times to come, this will be become the most important centre for both healthcare and education. Very soon, a free medical college will come up here. In truth, we are not doing anything new. Providing free services to people to fulfil their basic needs was the original Indian way. In India food, education and health were never sold. Food was served to everyone in keeping with the principle ‘atithi devo bhava’ (a guest is to be treated as God); education was bestowed to students free of cost in gurukulas; and since we also believe 'vaidyo nārāyano harih’ (doctors are God), doctors served out of compassion and without charging for their services. . We are only trying to revive our glorious Indian traditions. Our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has said, “Sabka sāth, sabka vikās, sabka vishwās and sabka prayās.” (Everyone works together, puts in efforts with confidence, for the progress of all.) Ours is one such effort, so that we can walk hand-in-hand with the Government to make India a viśvaguru (world leader) and so that everyone in India receives their basic rights of nutrition, education and healthcare.”
The event drew to a close with the rendition of the Indian National Anthem by the Sai Symphony Orchestra comprising students of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam of Institutions.
Why did Indians consider Acharyas (teachers) and Vaidyos (doctors) as God? - Divine Discourse Summary - January 14, 2021
On this very auspicious Sankranti day, those who want to rise from this limited human consciousness; these are the time(s) which are most appropriate to undertake spiritual austerities and practices. When things are done at the right time, they yield the right results. Sankranti (is) one such time where if we undertake good spiritual auspicious activities they are bound to succeed. They are bound to bless us with prosperity, harmony, peace and spiritual upliftment. Today also is a very auspicious beginning of the Veda Gurukulam. On the other side we also are working towards developing a state-of-the-art medical facility. If you look at our scriptures only two professions have been worshipped, One is Acharya Devo Bhava and the other is Vaidyo Narayana Hari. Do you know why? Because God is selfless. That’s why God is worshipped. God does not expect anything in return.
With the passage of time both have become commodities, been bought and sold recklessly. We must stand up for our Indian ideal, which is to ensure that education and healthcare is provided free of cost to everybody. Only then this country will prosper. Old roots and the new shoots both have to come to come together. Apara vidya is necessary to solve the problems of the world. But without Para vidya, Apara vidya is blind. I would like to see a day when the entire system of education covers the gamut of all knowledge. All that is possible and nurtured should be learnt and taught here. I am hoping that our children who are studying in these Gurukulams with Veda Gurukulam, Vidya Gurukulam or the Vaidya Gurukulam; are going to take up this idea of Indian thought, sharing education with everyone, helping everyone. Be rest assured, if you do good that good will protect you there will be nothing less in your life.
Here onwards Sathya Sai Mission of Health Care will now focus largely on the preventive side of medicine; prevent disease from happening. It is a great responsibility what happens to the country what happens to the world. The times to come, it largely depends on what our graduates from our university do in the future. And without exception each one of you have to take up this responsibility. There is no choice. This is gift, this is an opportunity that’s come up come your way. Take it with great pride, also humility, with great honor that you are going to work alongside God. We look forward to a year which is going to be much more healthier, happier, prosperous than the previous year and nobody have sorrow. Gratitude to all the people who make our lives easy, who have ma(d)e our lives comfortable. The one who lives with gratitude alone knows the true value of life. We all must develop this gratitude for each other.
Did humanity take a giant leap forward in 2020? - Divine Discourse Summary - January 01, 2021
Last year has taught us several lessons. It put a mirror in front of our face. (It) has definitely made all go within, introspect, learn so much more about our own selves than the people around us. An opportunity to express our love, to express our compassion. And that has made us better human beings than what we were in 2019. This year humanity has definitely taken a giant leap. The world has learnt a lesson that we are all together in it. When we suffer, we suffer together, when we rejoice, we rejoice together. The idea of living selfishly only for one sake, to a great extent has been wiped away from the minds of people. One unseen, invisible organism has changed the way we think, we say, we do things in our lives. Much of the time were spent in the spiritual studies to understand our true nature, to overcome the vagaries of mind, to dwell in the realms of the spirit, to experience that oneness within and without and I have heard so many wonderful stories from our people.
These are important steppingstones. They can teach us a lot, what bad times teach us, good times don't. Good times or bad times we should kind and compassionate to everyone around us. Few months from now probably life will be back to the old normal. But we should not be the same old again, we should continue to do what we have learnt in this year. When we open our eyes, we are serving everyone around us, and we close our eyes we are reveling in the divine bliss that is within. There was an imbalance earlier, when the eyes are open, we are definitely serving others but when eyes are closed, we just don't know who we are. And then there was the other aspect; when we close our eyes and enjoy the divine connection within and felt so unwilling to serve outside when we opened our eyes, both are not real. A Jeevanmukta does not live like this. He is always reveling in the knowledge of the truth within, but without is extremely active for the welfare of all.
But definitely I do wish that this year let there not be any sorrow, let there not be any grief, let nobody be sick and suffering, let there be joy, peace, harmony in the whole world. I am sure as the restrictions open; I would again travel and see you all in your own countries or you will all travel here and see us here and that time is not far. I will meet everybody in their own countries. As you all miss coming here, I all also miss you all very much. I think we have become closer as a global family of Swami and that is the boon that we have received this year.