Thursday, 30 June 2016
Monday, 27 June 2016
Sunday, 26 June 2016
The Boy
He sat under the stars beaming a smile that mirrored the crescent moon s and not a thought played across his unruffled, peaceful brow. He was absorbed in this moment of absolute awareness.
As daylight merged with darkness he made his way back to the small cave, that he had made his own. An ancient Neem tree twisted above it, as if standing guard.
He had blurry, faded visions of an elderly couple that may have been his parents. His only strong memories were that of his Master and the few short, glorious years he had spent in his ashram.
Since his Guru had sent him out into the world, he had gone on several pilgrimages, before settling here in Shirdi.
Here he had become one with nature. It was here, he had merged into Her arms and it was here, that She took care of him, as tenderly as a mother-bird does, of her young ones.
He knew not, how long he'd been here, or how many years had passed since birth. One of the aunties from the village would wander for hours with food to find him and feed him.
But he was just as happy living on the bush foods that he collected throughout the year from the trees and bushes close by.
The villagers that had met him, loved him dearly. Some spoke eloquently to others of his beauty and divinity. Slowly a following grew.
One young girl in particular, would come and sit with him for hours. She was drawn like a moth to a flame. Drawn to his pure, radiant smile and open heart.
Although only clothed in rags, she thought him rich. She would sit quietly for hours, saying nothing, just basking in his divine sunshine.
Sometimes they would sit around the fire late at night and he would tell stories, rich with a wisdom, that were well beyond his years.
Early in the morning she would sneak back to her village and lie awake till dawn, dreaming of his stories, replaying them over and over in her pure and innocent mind.
She imagined one day marrying the boy, she prayed for it and hoped for it, her heart grew light with the thought of it.
Her wealthy Merchant Father came to hear the local gossip, of her infatuation with the boy and he forbade her from leaving the house at night.
She cried silent tears and hadn't eaten for three whole days since his command.
Her Mother who was full of love and compassion for her daughter, and trusted her implicitly, petitioned her husband to go and meet with the boy as she had done. She hoped this would put his mind at ease and he would realize the innocence of their relationship.
The father relented, he sent his daughter off to his sisters in the next village, and planned to go and talk to the boy that very night.
As night fell he headed out beyond the village gates and followed an old goat track west, to where he had been told the boy stayed.
Before long he could smell woodsmoke and rounding a bend on the rocky, time worn track, he saw the boy, sitting cross legged before a raging blaze.
His eyes were closed and he was smiling up at the sky, almost grinning. It was as if he had just been given some great news and was basking in his good fortune.
The Merchant sat quietly and rested awhile, respecting the boys peace. Only the sounds of distant goats could be heard sporadically above the the crackle of the hypnotic fire.
Slowly the boys eyes opened and he stared intensely into the flames.
The Merchants patience waned and he spoke.
"I'm Raj Govinda, I'm Lalita's Father, who I think you know very well." he said rather accusingly.
"Agh Lalita" said the boy smiling, the words spilled from his lips as if he were remembering a special moment.
"Don't worry about your Daughter, she is Gods Daughter."
He spoke with such an innocence and selflessness, that the Merchant completely forgot the speech that he had rehearsed in his mind.
He was entranced by the boys voice and his saintly presence.
Nothing more was spoken of that night.
The Merchant fell into a deep meditation and awoke in the early morning light, to the smell of the last burning coals. He was alone.
He returned home and locked himself in his study, he sobbed and cried like a baby. They were tears of joy, for having been in the company of such truth and peace and love. It had moved him beyond words, beyond explanation.
But also they were tears of an aching sadness. He realized how much the young boy had, and he felt so small beside him, so meaningless.
He had made no time for his own spiritual yearnings. He had pushed them aside and made himself busy with the world. He had left his prayers and devotion, to his wife and Lalita.
He had thought that being a merchant and making his family proud, to be more important.
He spent the whole day in his study and the next, refusing food and even water.
His wife became very worried, along with the villagers, who relied on him for work and money.
The Mother sent word for her eldest daughter, to return home from her aunts. Maybe she could coax her father from his room and his malady.
The Merchant had seen in the boy something that had created a profound longing to seek for a deeper meaning and purpose, to this merchant life that he had chosen.
He had seen that the boy was free and it made him realize how trapped and entangled in the world he had become.
He was reflecting back, to his own childhood, when his love for God had been quite earnest. But he had pushed it aside. He had put all his energies into keeping his father happy and doing what he thought was the right thing by his family.
He had followed what he thought was his destiny but it was really just a choice. A choice that he now repented on.
The youth had switched something on inside of him.
His body was an instrument. His mind was an instrument. They were well kept and exercised tools, that had aided him and not burdened him, on his journey to the Divine.
Unanswerable to anyone but his own conscience, which was clear and pure. The boy had nothing and yet he had everything.
Just sitting with him, on that one fateful night, had awoken in him, a sleeping giant.
He swayed between an unexplainable bliss, to a deep overwhelming hunger for more understanding and knowledge.
He didn't want this feeling to go away. He didn't want to lose this fragile connection.
He had lost it once before, when he had wrongly chosen to put the world first.
He answered the door upon hearing Lalita's calls.
As soon as her eyes and his eyes met, she knew everything. For she saw it was everything she had felt and was feeling.
She could see a powerful change in her fathers manner and she was deeply moved by his vulnerability and humility. It was like she was seeing him properly for the first time.
He was no longer hiding behind that facade, of the person who he thought he was.
A great love was upon them
and it had put their lives in a spin,
their world was on hold, as they adventured from within.
Monday, 20 June 2016
Time
Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest, to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day.
If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow." You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it, so as to get from it, the utmost in health, happiness, and success!
The clock is ticking. Make the most of today. To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade. To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby. To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper. To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet in one hour. To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who just missed a train. To realize the value of ONE-SECOND, ask a person who just missed being involved in a fatal car accident.
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with. Remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present!
Saturday, 18 June 2016
Sai Saileshwara
On the Pacific Islands of Fiji, under the astrological sign of 3, a beautiful soul was born and duty bound, he was sworn.
There's an epic story to tell,
that will warm your hearts like a spell.
Little Sailesh wasn't born into royalty
and neither was he born in a hell.
He was born in a simple pious family, whose story I will presently tell.
He was the youngest of seven children, with only love in his sweet little heart.
Motherered by 4 older sisters and with Amma never far from his sight, his life seemed more than idyllic, right from the very start.
He developed a love for music and he sang straight from the heart.
He hoped that one day he'd turn professional, and travel developing his art.
At the tender age of 10 his father passed away in the night. Life could have turned very grim, but Amma was fearless and tenacious. And so life was always full to the brim.
They soldiered on with the help of their loved ones and everything seemed all right, but at 18 that would all change and our sweet Guru would be up for a fight.
A tumor was growing inside him and swelling up inside of his knee. It grew to the size of a football and so it was to New Zealand that he would have to flee.
In New Zealand there were better doctors and in New Zealand there was a glimmer of hope.
But it wasn't the doctors that would give the most hope, it was another type of Doctor, that would help him to cope.
It was in New Zealand that our Guru would find his Guru, and it was this Guru who would throw him a rope.
It was a rope to pull himself out of the misery, that he had slowly sunken into. And it was a rope to pull himself out from the Maya, that he took to be totally true.
in '93 when he returned to his Island homeland, he met a mysterious old Fijian, who gave him a most powerful command.
"You must go to India at once and see Sai Baba". And so he presently did. It was just he and his Mother.
In Puttapharti he joined the New Zealand Youth Group and gained his first interview.
It was a meeting that would change his life. For Swami's words would cut through him, like a knife.
Every word of Swami's he has steadfastly lived by, and it has made him who he is today. Every word he has unfalteringly lived by and it has shown him, love is the only way.
In the November of 1994 our Guru's body, would pass away, but Swami had other plans for him it seemed and he came back to us, to stay.
He returned with Amma to Fiji, and then decided to move to Australia. In Australia they would operate on his leg and Dr. Holt would be his holy savior.
In '96 the operation was booked in, and our Guru had no expectations. He had firm faith and love for his Guru, and from God he needed no explanations.
His devotion was totally solid and his love, was the purest of pure. His devotion was unshakeably strong and he knew that Gods love, was the ultimate cure.
Dr. Holt had to remove his leg and finally the cancer was gone. Another new beginning awaited and he knew, he had to move on.
Surrender is our Guru's mantra. It's been at the centre of everything he's done. If you lost your youth, and your leg, most of you would have come undone.
But he knew he had to be the witness, to ride the waters, of this worldly life.
He knew he had to be the witness, to keep away from all the emotional strife.
Meerabai is the quintessential devotee. She secured a firm place in our Krishna Sai's heart. She surrendered everything to her beautiful Krishna, and she never thought that were ever, apart.
Same way our Guru has been tested aplenty, and he has never strayed far from his Guru's heart. He has left aside the consequences of all actions and he too, has a place in Sai's heart.
On the Guru Purnima of '98, Sai Saileshwara had a vision of Maha Vishnu and a guru mantra was whispered in his ear. He stood crying quite uncontrollably, but he knew there was nothing to fear.
Later that morning he visited a Ganesh Temple. As he stood in front of Maa, a light shone upon his heart and from nothing did he feel apart.
That same night as they all sat singing, at the Guru Purnima function, the picture of Maa came fully alive, right in the middle of the Bhajan.
She entered his solid frame and danced around in his heart. She entered his energized body, and from that day, they were never apart.
After that a small group formed around him, that would later become Sai Samaj.
Home Bhajans and Havans were held quite regularly and the group grew, quite, quite large.
Meera Sai had instructed him to do Havans, Sai Gayatri, 1008 times.
And after that, his fame started to rapidly climb and everything fell into line.
In '99 he met the love of his life, as Marinaji entered his world.
His Shakti had finally arrived and his mission was starting to unfurl.
They married in the year 2000 and in '03 Sai Eashan was born. A year after that, came our beautiful temple and a new era, had welcomingly dawned.
Over the years there have been so many miracles, so many people have come and gone, in '05 it was the birth of our Kumi and the years have continued to march on.
Guru Purnima has come around again, in this year of 2016. So much has happened in our young Gurus life and I wonder at what's yet to be seen.
He's a treasure that cannot be sold, he's a hero, who is confident and bold. He's a mystery that's yet to unfold and his heart is as pure as Gold.
Thursday, 16 June 2016
Monday, 13 June 2016
Sunday, 12 June 2016
Your Embrace
To stand on our own, on our own two feet.
No longer separate to you, but categorically complete.
We listen to your words and absorb all of your teachings.
We practice and practice, and pay heed to your beseeching.
Nothing's complete without your blessings.
Nothing is whole without your grace,
and nothing's all inclusive without your embrace.
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Friday, 3 June 2016
Hand in Hand.
Hand in hand with no thoughts or demands. We cling tightly to you, till we learn to stand.
To stand on our own, on our own two feet. No longer separate to you, but categorically complete.
We listen to your words and absorb all of your teachings.
We practice and practice, and pay heed to your beseeching.
He Loved Children
He loved children,
He loved animals,
He loved people.
He was curious ,
and would talk to anyone.
He never talked about love,
but he lived it.
He didn't talk much of generosity,
but he was generous.
He didn't speak much of kindness,
but he practiced it.
He didn't go around telling everyone that he loved them, he just assumed,
that you realized that. :-)
He was the gentlest
and most patient man,
that I knew as a child.
He was my Hero.
He was a loving Father
and Grandfather, husband and friend.
He will be sorely missed.
Dad thank you for some of my oldest,
and fondest memories.
Thank you for your kindness, your generosity
and your acceptance.
But most of all it's your sweetness,
that will be missed.
You didn't have a mean bone in your body.
Good-bye old friend,
you were graceful right to the end.
From our hearts you'll never leave...
It's just to honor you ,
we grieve.
Wednesday, 1 June 2016
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