Issue 165 - February 23, 2020
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In 2017 a
Satsang
held in the divine presence at the Singapore when a devotee asked why did Rama do penance after killing Ravana.
Here is what Swami said:
The Bhagawad Gita says, ‘Yad yad acharati shreshthah tat tad evetaro janah’ – in the way noble men conduct themselves, the world follows. Rama was maryada purushottama, the one who had the highest ‘maryada’. There’s no exact equivalent for maryada, but it can be thought of as the ideal nature of Rama (righteous and duty-bound). Rama had to set this ideal in front of the world: whomever you harm, whether demon or somebody who has hurt or harmed you, if it is for the sake of upholding dharma, then it still is considered as harm. Therefore, one must atone for that.
More than anything else, as I said, Rama came to set an example for everyone to follow. Hurting anyone is definitely papa (sin); helping others is punya – auspicious and meritorious. Just to set an example for everyone to follow, Rama did penance.
Even God, when coming to this Earth and taking upon himself a human life, follows all the rules of the physical world or of any world, to help others and not hurt anyone. For the sake of protecting dharma, even though Rama had been hurt, He always prayed and atoned for it so that others would follow Him, as the example.In 2017 a Satsang held in the divine presence at the Singapore when a devotee asked why did Rama do penance after killing Ravana.
Here is what Swami said:
The Bhagawad Gita says, ‘Yad yad acharati shreshthah tat tad evetaro janah’ – in the way noble men conduct themselves, the world follows. Rama was maryada purushottama, the one who had the highest ‘maryada’. There’s no exact equivalent for maryada, but it can be thought of as the ideal nature of Rama (righteous and duty-bound). Rama had to set this ideal in front of the world: whomever you harm, whether demon or somebody who has hurt or harmed you, if it is for the sake of upholding dharma, then it still is considered as harm. Therefore, one must atone for that.
More than anything else, as I said, Rama came to set an example for everyone to follow. Hurting anyone is definitely papa (sin); helping others is punya – auspicious and meritorious. Just to set an example for everyone to follow, Rama did penance.
Even God, when coming to this Earth and taking upon himself a human life, follows all the rules of the physical world or of any world, to help others and not hurt anyone. For the sake of protecting dharma, even though Rama had been hurt, He always prayed and atoned for it so that others would follow Him, as the example.
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Summer
Seva
Activities in January 2020
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The youth of Argentina distributed 2,215 meals to people in situations of social vulnerability. This service is performed regularly in six different cities in Argentina: Buenos Aires City, Escobar, La Plata, Morón, Iguazú and Salta.
The youth from La Plata meet every Friday and prepare vegetarian sandwiches. They distribute the sandwiches together with a dessert in three dining rooms for children and people in a poor neighborhood. In total, they served 969 people during the month of January.
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Food Distribution Service In Rio De Janeiro
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In January 2020, a total of 250 meals were delivered to people on the streets, as well as those who are socially vulnerable. In the current month of February 2020, a total of 200 meals have been distributed by the
Narayana Seva
group of Rio de Janeiro.
The
Narayana Seva
preparation activities take place at devotees’ homes in Rio de Janeiro. They are from very diverse religions. Distribution is carried out every two weeks in the streets of the city centre where the homeless population is concentrated.
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Food Distribution Service In
Recife, Pernambuco
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The
Narayana Seva's
preparation activities occur in the Sai Infinite Love Centre - Home of prayer and service to others, founded in 2019, in Recife, Pernambuco, for devotees of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, from different religions. Weekly distribution is carried out always on the weekends, with the direct and indirect collaboration of about 15 volunteers, mostly young people. However, the group also encourages the participation of children and elderly people who assist in the distribution of juice and water during the activity.
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Canadian Newsletter February Edition 2020
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The youth offer their prayerful Pranams to their loving Lord,
Bhagawan
Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
The Canadian Youths wish all a very Happy Family Day and Sai Ram to all of the readers!
They pray to
Bhagawan
to bless all the youth so that they can continue His mission in their respective countries.
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Seva
in the Bay Area, California
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The youth in the Bay Area, California continued their monthly
Seva
activities by preparing a total of 200 sandwiches; consisting of 100 peanut butter sandwiches and 100 veggie sandwiches to be served to the needy. They delivered these sandwiches along with oranges and bananas to three homeless shelters in the Oakland area on February 16, 2020.
In addition to the youth, many volunteers from the Bay Area participated in the
Seva
making it special and memorable. There was high energy and enthusiasm throughout the preparation process.
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Huntsville, Alabama
Seva
for
Lower-Income Individuals
February 12, 2020
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Bhagawan
surrounds one with good people who provide
Satsang
at those times in one’s life when one is open enough and mentally ready to receive it. In the company of good individuals who uplift the spirit with their presence because of their love for others, it becomes possible for one to feel the presence of
Bhagawan
with greater clarity. One
Sevak
(one who serves) mentioned that “
Bhagawan
cares for us whether we ask for His help or not and even, regardless of whether or not we express our gratitude to Him in any manner”.
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Seva
to Alleviate Hunger in
Houston, Texas
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On February 1, 2020, the Houston youth assembled for their monthly offering of
Seva
– feeding their fellow embodiments of love, living in the downtrodden areas of the city. Over the past few months, additional youth from outside the Sai fold have been participating in the
Seva
with much enthusiasm, given the noble work that is being done. The group of seven youth prepared 108 lunch bags – each consisting of mayo-pickle-tofurkey (vegetarian tofu) sandwiches, crackers and a juice pack.
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Personal Transformation through Service
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Florence Relvas Ugalde
"
Seva
Participation to me is part of something transformative. To see how a simple meal makes such a difference in the day of the homeless people, makes me aware of the magnitude of small actions. Working step by step, we can go very far and I see that help, always, even to the least, is extremely important to the receiver! "
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Experience From Swami´S 94Th Birthday Celebration
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Time in God´s hands is an essential ingredient for transforming souls; slowly penetrating, like water, to soften the heart. Waiting twenty years to make a trip may seem like a long time, but only God can know the precise moment when the student is ready and when to grant the grace of nearness, so the transformation process can enter a new stage.
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