Contents

Editorial

Swami’s Quotes for the Youth

Seventh Heaven: Featuring Anil Kumar’s Pearl of Wisdoms

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to contribute articles for the next issue, due at the end of August, please contact Sharan Soni, Editor at shazer40@hotmail.com

Sai Ram All

This is the first edition of the online Sai Newsletter by the youth of Scotland. It is very basic and I would appreciate it if you could contribute an article for future editions. It can be about anything from an experience you have had with God to a poem or quote which you have come across.

I hope you enjoy this section of the site. I know I enjoyed making it and I myself find I am now a better person after reading and abiding by some of those quotes.

With regards to future articles, you could send them to me at shazer40@hotmail.com.

Jai Sai Ram

Sharan Soni

108 Sayings

I have recently read the 108 Sayings to be practiced in daily life by Sri Sathya Sai Baba. There is not enough space for them all so here are some of the ones that stuck with me and made me think:

6. Time consumes everyone ...so do not waste time. Time wasted is life wasted.

I liked this one as I felt that I could relate to it. For example I was putting off doing this article as I knew it would take a long time, but I once I started doing Baba’s duty I felt great. I feel that we should no waste any time; we should be constantly be doing something to please our lord and also ourselves.

14. Realize that the Divine is present in every living thing as the indwelling Divine Spirit.

This one jumped out at me from the page as sometimes we forget that Baba is always watching: he is omnipresent. No matter what we do, good or bad he is always there so we should strive every day to please him. I was reminded of this while watching Big Brother (I do not know if Baba would approve of that) but the whole idea of being watched reminded my that Baba is always there. Therefore we must as, as the saying goes, “Be Good, See Good, and Do Good”.

28. Every action of ours and every thought of ours causes a reflection and a reaction and a resound.

This one actually took me back to higher physics where Newton’s third law states that every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction (if my physics memory is still correct). To me it’s the idea of doing to others what you wish on to yourself, so to be nice at all times, not to loose your temper and always imagine yourself in the other persons shoes and how it must be for them before judging them.

60. Speak the truth

Short and sweet. It seems so easy but yet is so hard, we have all been in that situation where we have done something wrong and it seems so easy at the time to just lie, but that is never good as it always catches up with you and you end up thinking why didn’t I just tell the truth at the start. So we should always speak the truth everyday.

All 108 quotes I found inspiring, but to comment on them all would take awhile. The full 108 can be found on the Internet or you can e-mail me at shazer40@hotmail.com for the full list.

Another Way of Life

Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan herself. It remains Japan's major religion besides Buddhism.

Introduction

Shinto does not have a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the sutras or the bible. Propaganda and preaching are not common either, because Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions.

"Shinto gods" are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami. The kami of extraordinary people are even enshrined at some shrines. The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered Shinto's most important kami.

In contrast to many monotheist religions, there are no absolutes in Shinto. There is no absolute right and wrong, and nobody is perfect. Shinto is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be fundamentally good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits. Consequently, the purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits by purification, prayers and offerings to the kami.

Shinto shrines are the places of worship and the homes of kami. Most shrines celebrate festivals (matsuri) regularly in order to show the kami the outside world.

Shinto priests perform Shinto rituals and often live on the shrine grounds. Men and women can become priests, and they are allowed to marry and have children. Priests are supported by young ladies (miko) during rituals and concerning other tasks at the shrine. Miko wear white kimono, must be unmarried and are often the priest's daughters.

Important features of Shinto art are shrine architecture and the cultivation and preservation of ancient art forms such as No theatre, calligraphy and court music (gagaku), and an ancient dance music that originated at the courts of Tang China.

Shinto History

The introduction of Buddhism in the 6th century was followed by a few initial conflicts, however, the two religions were soon able to co-exist harmonically and even complement each other. Many Buddhists viewed the kami as manifestations of Buddha’s.

In the Meiji Period, Shinto was made Japan's state religion. Shinto priests became state officials, important shrines started to received governmental funding, Japan's creation myths were used to foster an emperor cult, and efforts were made to separate and emancipate Shinto from Buddhism.

After World War II, Shinto and the state were separated.

Shinto Today

People seek support from Shinto by praying at a home altar or by visiting shrines. A whole range of talismans is available at shrines for traffic safety, good health, business success, safe deliveries, good exam performance and more.

A large number of wedding ceremonies are held in Shinto style. Death, however, is considered a source of impurity, and is left to Buddhism to deal with. Consequently, there are virtually no Shinto cemeteries, and most funerals are held in Buddhist style.

Swami’s quotes for the youth

Here are some quotes for all you youths out there. Hopefully these will make you think and motivate you as they have done for me.

"Only youth can change youth. When the young people become inspired to be shining examples to the rest of the world, the dark clouds of immorality and unrest will roll back, leaving a clear future for humanity."

"Young men and women, you are the future leaders of this world. Great responsibility devolves on you. Be exemplary in everything that you do."

"Youths have to take initiative to lead the organization from the front. Each state organization should have its own youth leader to take up major responsibilities."

"Only the youth can transform the youth."

"The age span 16-30 is crucial for that is the period when life adds sweetness to itself, when talents, skills and attitudes are accumulated, sublimated and sanctified. If the tonic of unselfish service is administered to the mind during this period, life’s mission is fulfilled."

"The hope of the Sathya Sai Organization rests on your shoulders. You have got to find your own methods to deal with the situations you face in the world. You will have a lot of criticism, but that will make you strong."

Everyday when you sleep, where are you? Who are you? Your senses are inoperative; your intelligence is in abeyance; your mind creates a world of its own and, after playing in it for some time, it lapses into inactivity. This state of deep sleep is the nearest you reach in your journey to Samadhi. Live in the Atmatathwam (spiritual consciousness), that will ensure Shanti (peace). With the poison of Raaga (attachment) and Dwesha (hatred) inside you, how can you be pronounced healthy? If you experience the Atmatathwam, you become one with Bhagawan (God) Himself.

This quote teaches that no matter where you are, who you are, find your inner peace within you. The more hatred gathers inside you, the more you are parting yourself further and further away from God. Whilst in deep sleep let your mind rest as when sleeping, it relaxes the body and there may be no hatred inside you. This is the only time there may be no hatred and anger. As the quote says, it is not healthy for the human body to be attached to material possessions and show hatred. Try to be at peace and become one with God. I personally think this quote teaches a good lesson and you should try to follow the moral behind it.

Divya Soni

Seventh Heaven

This month in Seventh Heaven, we feature some very pertinent questions about our daily lives that were answered by Professor Anil Kumar. Simple doubts in our minds that we cannot get rid of and cannot understand.

He was giving a talk to a group of University students in India, and Swami later told him that he approved of all of his answers.

Q: (From a young man, a research scholar) “Sir, so many are dying in Kashmir. The whole of Afghanistan is washed out. The whole of Iraq is bombed. There is continuous war between Palestine and Israel. What is Baba doing? Why is He silent?”

Anil: “First, Baba wants you to correct yourself. You are not peaceful with yourself. How do you expect peace everywhere? You are not happy with your own self. How can you find happiness everywhere?”

“A simple example: A father brought a map of India for his son. The son saw the map of India and started playing with it. Unfortunately, he tore it to pieces. His father was very much upset. He scolded his son like anything. After sometime, the son brought back the map as-it-was. The father was surprised. He asked his son, ‘How could you bring this map back?’”

“He said, ‘Dad, on the other side of the map, there is a picture of a man. I put the first piece where the head should be. Then, I put the two pieces where the hands are. I put the fourth and fifth pieces where the legs are located. As I assembled the man, the map was set right.’”

“So, if you correct yourself, the whole world will be corrected. Don’t worry about Iraq and Afghanistan. First, worry about yourself.”

Q: “What is meditation? How to do it?”

“Point one: Eating, writing, walking, talking, reading -- everything is meditation, according to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.”

“Point two: The true sign, the true indication, the success of genuine meditation, the result of meditation is arriving at a thoughtless (thought-free) state. The withdrawal of the mind is the result of any meditation.”

“Point three: This meditation has to be taken in three steps. The first step is concentration, the second step is contemplation and the third step is meditation.”

“Suppose you want to have a rose. What do you do? You go to the garden. There are so many plants there -- jasmines, chrysanthemums, dahlias and so many other flowers. Because you want a rose, what do you do? You avoid all the rest of the plants and walk straight to the rose plant. That is concentration. Am I clear in this?”

“When you stand in front of the rose plant, what do you do? With the help of scissors, you cut only the flower, avoiding leaves, branches and thorns. That is contemplation.”

“Then you collect the flower and enjoy its smell, enjoy its beauty and you are lost in it. In watching the flower, you forget yourself. That is meditation.”

“We think that concentration is meditation. Wrong! We think that contemplation is meditation. No! Meditation is forgetting yourself.”

Q: “Many people question my experiences. What shall I do?”

Anil: “Why do your share your experiences with everybody? I am not here to share my experiences with everybody. No! Unless you are genuinely interested, unless you want to know positively, why should I share my experience with you? I am not supposed to share my experiences with critics, with people who question me or with people who doubt me, because that will damage my life. That will weaken my faith. That will make me weak spiritually. Therefore, we are not here to share our experiences along the street with everybody. No! So, your mistake is to tell everybody. Therefore, they are questioning you.”

“Swami will send you a genuine man, who needs your support, who needs your advice, who requires your personal experiences, so that he will be enriched.”

“Why are you sharing your experiences? Have you questioned yourself? Is it for publicity? Is it an ego trick? Is it for name and fame? Why do you do it?”

“Experiences are personal, while messages are universal. Share the message with everybody, be it a devotee or a non-devotee, because the message is universal,. Only share personal experiences with another trusted devotee.”

Q: “How to give up ego?”

Anil: “Say this sentence: ‘Oh, ego! Let you go!’ First, you say that. Then, you can give up your ego by thinking of God. God is greater than you are! God is mightier than you are! God is more powerful than you are! God is omniscient! God is omnipotent! In front of Him, we are nothing. When you think of God, you will be humble. When you think of yourself, you will be egoistic. When you walk towards the sun, your shadow will be behind you. When you walk against the sun, the shadow will be in front of you. Similarly, walk towards the sun, towards God. Then there will be no ego at all. You are walking against the sun, against God, so you are guided by your own shadow, the ego.”

The Last Word: Sai Humour

The Mantra

Many years ago Kasturi was with Baba at Benares and was consumed by the desire to receive a Mantra from Swami. Having mentioned this to Baba, he bathed himself in the sacred waters of the Ganges and fasted all morning to receive it. But the morning hours passed. Noon came. But no Mantra! He confessed that by this time he shed tears of disappointment. Then horror of horrors, lunch time came, and he was seated right next to Swami. 'Kasturi, why aren't you eating?' Asked Baba, assuming innocence. 'The Mantra...' began the miserable Kasturi, swallowing a sob. 'What is the purpose of a Mantra?' Swami asked. 'To get closer to the Lord,' Kasturi replied.

Baba looked down at Kasturi's arm and then at His own. They were almost touching. 'Well,' He smiled in His divinely down-to-earth way, 'How much closer do you want to get?'

Asking for it

A Californian woman came to Baba, obsessed with anxiety about the predicted San Francisco earthquake. Baba listened to her fears for a good while, apparently agreeing that an earthquake was likely to happen. "But what shall I do?" the hapless lady asked. Baba leaned forward and whispered dramatically, "Prepare to die..!!"

Second Chance

"How do you spell 'wife'?" Baba asked a devotee in the interview room. "W-I-F-E-Worry Invited For Ever!" teased Baba. Then seeing the downcast _expression of the wife, He gently corrected himself: "No - Wisdom Invited For Ever".

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editor sharan soni team divya soni, parag agarwal