Sai Sannidhi: A Love Story

Sunday, September 4th, 2011

This was the celebration of an anniversary, an anniversary of 39 years of service to man, an anniversary of the love between the instruments and the Master, an anniversary of the day Bhagawan blessed His Students who he lovingly handpicked to be part of his mission in the most direct way, the day Bhagawan blessed their parents and thereby taught them the lesson of Filial Piety, the day Bhagawan expanded the scope of the Prayer Chant to “Samasta Lokaah Sukhino Bhavantu”, the anniversary of the day when Bhagawan told His boys that faith is the most important strength of man, not a faith in an external entity but the faith in his own innate divinity. This is Sai Sannidhi day.

The programme commenced at 1630hrs with Vedic invocations. At 1700hrs Dr. Shashank Shah, a post-doctoral fellow of the School of Business Management, Accounting and Finance at Bhagawan’s University introduced the days programme which he entitled, “Sai Sannidhi: A Love Story“. He spoke at length on the most wondrous relationship between Bhagawan and His students, the absolute involvement of Bhagawan in every activity of their’s and his leadership from the front. Indeed Living with God is True Education.

The second speaker was Sri. Vedanarayan, a national award winning Sanskrit teacher from the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School. He recounted Bhagawan’s mission of Service to Man is Service to God and the fortune to be part of that matchless mission and to have an enviable one to one relationship with Him. He listed the three most important qualities essential for the students: Trikarnasudhi (Unity and Purity of Thought, Word and Deed), Self Confidence and Namasmarana (incessant chanting of the Lord’s name). Only these qualities he quipped will help us learn to swim before saving the drowning.

The final speaker was Sri Aravind B, an accomplished speaker, writer and photographer, working in the Prasanthi Digital Studio. Recounting some wonderful moments of his personal interactions with Bhagawan, he said that He always holds our hand. Our prayer to Him is to ensure that we don’t leave His hand. Being a student of the institute he said is an academic process but to be a Sai Student is in everyone’s grasp as it is only Surrender that will make us one. Surrender, he quoted Bhagawan, is the acceptance that everything which happens is for one’s own good. Hence we need to be joyful always as everything we get has been handpicked by Him for our own personal good and growth. Tears of joy, love and gratitude he said is the most appropriate ‘speech’ that we can offer Him.

The inspiring talks were followed by a beautiful music programme, a bouquet of five songs. The songs were interspersed with experiences shared by some of the students. Sri Raghuram Bhat from Prasanthi Digital Studio gave a particularly poignant speech, welling up the eyes of all. Many of the old songs which Bhagawan enjoyed in previous programmes had fresh instrumental pieces woven between them symbolic of the ancient but ever fresh nature of our Master, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

The programme was followed by Bhajans and Arati. Prasadam was distributed to the assembly.

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