Online Inspirational Series - Evolve and Enlighten
We request you to join Online Inspirational Series - "Evolve and Enlighten - The Essence of Vahinis". Vahinis are books written by Bhagavan Baba and are available for reading at: http://www.sathyasai.org/media/ebooks. This series will be featured on Fridays every week, covering broad themes in the Vahinis - focusing on one book a week.
Looking forward to everyone's participation as we embark on this sacred journey. These opportunities allow us to come together in Unity and spend the time thinking of Swami, and praying for the well-being of the entire world.
Previous Episodes:
Episode 10 : Sandeha Nivarini (Dissolving Doubts)
Facilitator: Sandhya Srikant, SSIO-USA Region 7 Devotion Coordinator
Date and Time: Nov 13th 2020 (Friday) 9.00 pm EDT | 8.00 pm CDT | 6.00 pm PDT
Join at: http://www.sathyasai.us/live
Baba in the Sandeha Nivarini writes, "Good, my dear boy! How sad the farmer would be if the seeds he planted didn’t sprout and yield a harvest! So too, if the seeds of true wisdom that I sow do not come up as good saplings and give good harvest, I am affected. On the other hand, if they grow well and fructify into a harvest of bliss (ananda), how happy I am! That is My food. This is the selfless service (seva) you should do to me. There is nothing higher than this. Without flinging away the good and true words, spoken for your sake, if you practise them and derive joy from them, the essence of that joy is my food. If you thus act according to My words and put them into practice, I will gladly tell you more, whatever may be the number of things you ask. When what is said is allowed to deteriorate without being put into use, if people come and ask me to speak and speak again, what is to be said? If all start practising, as you are doing, the world will not have any troubles; untruth will not manifest itself."
(Click here to download PDF version)
Episode 9 : Bhagavatha Vahini (Stream of Divine Devotion)
Facilitator: Nettie Spiwack, SSIO-USA Region 5 Devotion Coordinator
Date and Time: Nov 6th 2020 (Friday) 9.00 pm EDT | 8.00 pm CDT | 6.00 pm PDT
Baba in the Bhagavatha Vahini writes, "The Universal Absolute, the Birthless, Formless, Unmanifest, Infinite took on limitations of name and form and concretized Itself as Incarnations (Avataras) on many occasions and manifested countless instances of divine intercession and grace. Through these, as well as through the characteristics assumed and the ideas propagated, God saved mankind from downfall. Those who sing the story of this glory, those who listen eagerly to the recital, those who imbibe and digest the lessons conveyed, these are the real devotees. These are the Bhagavathas —those who follow the path laid down in the Bhagavatha. Bhagavatha binds devotion (bhakthi) with Bhagavan; that is to say, the story fills you with God and transmutes you into divinity"
(Click here to download PDF version)
Episode 8 : Gita Vahini (Stream of Divine Song)
Facilitator: Srinivas Pasumarthi, SSIO-USA Region 6 Devotion Coordinator
Date and Time: Oct 30th 2020 (Friday) 9.00 pm EDT | 8.00 pm CDT | 6.00 pm PDT
Baba in the Gita Vahini writes, "Absence of the knowledge of the identity of “That (Thath)” and "You (Thwam)" is the cause of all ignorance — the word Thathwa, used to mean principle, enshrines this great philosophical doctrine. If this truth is not learned, one has to flounder in the ocean of grief. But, if it is learned and if one lives in that consciousness, then one can be free from grief. Many a prescription is recommended, used, publicized, and repeated parrot-like by all kinds of quacks. But these prescriptions do not go to the root of the matter; they are balms applied to the eye to cure an ache in the stomach. The disease and the drug have no coordination! The ache must be spotted and diagnosed and the drug must be such as will remove it. Only then can it be cured. The Lord Himself (Narayana) is the only medical expert who can do so. And He had diagnosed Arjuna’s illness correctly and decided on the treatment."
(Click here to download PDF version)
Episode 7 : Jnana Vahini (Stream of Spiritual Wisdom)
Facilitator: Dr. Chandrasekhar Ramaswamy, SSIO-USA Region 1 Devotion Coordinator
Date and Time: Oct 23rd 2020 (Friday) 9.00 pm EDT | 8.00 pm CDT | 6.00 pm PDT
Baba in the Jnana Vahini writes, "The mind is influenced by the passion for objective pleasure and the delusion of ignorance with which it pursues —with amazing quickness— the fleeting objects of the world. So, again and again it has to be led on toward higher ideals. Of course, this is difficult at first, but with persistent training, the mind can be tamed; then it will get fixed in the perpetual enjoyment of the Om (Pranava). The mind can be trained by following the methods of quiet persuasion, promise of attractive inducements, practice of withdrawing the senses from the outer world, endurance of pain and travail, cultivation of sincerity and constancy, and acquisition of mental equipoise. The mind can be turned toward Brahman and the constant contemplation of Brahman by the study of the Upanishads, the adoption of regular prayer, sharing with others the ecstasy of devotional singing (bhajan), and adherence to truth. Very often, with the progress of meditation (dhyana), new desires and resolutions arise in the mind. But one need not despair. The mind can be broken provided one takes up the task in right earnest and follows a regular routine of training. The final result of this training is unlimited, unmodified bliss-consciousness (nir-vikalpa-samadhi)."
(Click here to download PDF version)
Episode 6 : Vidya Vahini (Stream of Illuminating Knowledge)
Facilitator: Jan DiSanti, SSIO-USA Region 9 Devotion Coordinator
Date and Time: Oct 16th 2020 (Friday) 9.00 pm EDT | 8.00 pm CDT | 6.00 pm PDT
Baba in the Vidya Vahini writes, "A life lived without mastering the senses doesn’t deserve the name. A human is endowed with many capabilities, and years are wasted if the senses are not controlled and directed properly. Valid education (Vidya) helps one achieve success in this process of mastery. Education promotes humility. Through humility, one acquires the right to engage in professions. That authority confers prosperity. A prosperous person has the capacity for charity and right living. Right living can confer happiness here and hereafter."
(Click here to download PDF version)
Episode 5 : Leela Kaivalya Vahini (Stream of Divine Cosmic Play)
Facilitator: Murali Kotikalapoodi, SSIO-USA Region 10 Devotion Coordinator
Date and Time: Oct 9th 2020 (Friday) 9.00 pm EDT | 8.00 pm CDT | 6.00 pm PDT
Prof. Kasturi in his preface to Leela Kaivalya Vahini writes, "The Vedas originated from the breath of God, and each syllable is sacred. Each word is a mantra. It exhorts all men to pursue the same holy desire. All hearts must be charged with the same good urge; all thoughts must be directed by noble motives toward holy ends. All men must tread the one path of truth, for all are manifestations of the One. The world is enchanting because it is tantalizing in appearance, although it is fundamentally untrue. It is a phenomenon that is fading out. When this truth is realized, one becomes aware of the Cosmic Sport of God and the Eternal Universal Being. Leela Kaivalya Vahini (originally published in the periodical Sanathana Sarathi) is a cool, crystal-clear stream that flowed from the Divine pen of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to dissolve all obstacles like doubts and dogmas, purposeless arguments, and flimsy fancies of the spiritual aspirant."
(Click here to download PDF version)
Episode 4 : Prasanthi Vahini (Stream of Supreme Peace)
Facilitator: Dr. Suman Shrestha, SSIO-USA Region 4 Devotion Coordinator
Date and Time: Oct 2nd 2020 (Friday) 9.00 pm EDT | 8.00 pm CDT | 6.00 pm PDT
Baba in the Prasanthi Vahini writes, "Be convinced that you are the universal, immortal Atma. That will make every subsequent spiritual discipline easy. Instead, if you fondle the illusion that you are the body, the senses, or only this individual self (jivi), any spiritual discipline you do is just tender rot-ridden fruit; it will never grow and become ripe, and the sweet fruit of peace cannot be won even at the end of many lives. To experience yourself as the embodiment of peace, you must proceed from the faith that you are such an embodiment. Give up the theory that you are the body and the senses. This will also lead to the receding of mental impressions (vasanas). When they recede, you acquire mastery and gain peace."
(Click here to download PDF version)
Episode 3 : Dhyana Vahini (Stream of Meditation)
Facilitator: Greg Slee, SSIO-USA Region 8 Devotion Coordinator
Date and Time: Sept 25th 2020 (Friday) 9.00 pm EDT | 8.00 pm CDT | 6.00 pm PDT
Baba in the Dhyana Vahini writes, "The spiritual aspirant must first learn the secret of the “inward sight”, the “vision directed inward”, and take the attention away from the exterior. You have heard so far little about the inner world, but divine life is nothing but this method of “inward living”. Just as the baby, after learning to watch and understands, tries to toddle here and there at home, so also the spiritual aspirant learns to toddle in the inner world and understands it. A healthy baby in the cradle waves its arms and legs in glee and lisps in joy, watching the lamp on the wall. Similarly, the spiritual aspirant, also healthy in body, mind, and soul, lying in the cradle of life, watches the inner world and claps the hands ceaselessly in great glee at that inner joy. This has to be done."
(Click here to download PDF version)
Episode 2 : Prema Vahini (Stream of Love)
Facilitator: Piraba Swaminathan, SSIO-USA Region 2 Devotion Coordinator
Date and Time: Sept 18th 2020 (Friday) 9.00 pm EDT | 8.00 pm CDT | 6.00 pm PDT
Baba in the Prema Vahini writes, "While struggling in the spiritual field, you should take on the Lord Himself as your protector. To instil courage in the child, the mother persuades it to walk a few steps and turn about, but she won’t allow it to fall. If it totters and is about to lose balance, she hurries from behind it and catches it before it falls. The Lord too has His Eyes fixed on the individual. He has in His hand the string of the kite, which is humanity; sometimes He may give it a pull, and sometimes He may loosen the hold; but whatever He does, be confident and carefree, for it is He that holds the string. That faith ever-present, that feeling hardening into an inborn desire, will fill you with the essence of love (prema-rasa)."
(Click here to download PDF version)
Episode 1 : Ramakatha Rasavahini
Facilitator: Dr. Vini Raman, SSIO-USA Region 3 Devotion Coordinator
Date and Time: Sept 11th 2020 (Friday) 9.00 pm EDT | 8.00 pm CDT | 6.00 pm PDT
Baba in the introduction of Ramakatha Rasavahini writes, "Rama is the Indweller in every body. He is the Atma-Rama, the Rama (Source of Bliss) in every individual. He is the very embodiment of dharma, of all the codes of morality that hold mankind together in love and unity. Make your heart pure and strong, contemplating the grandeur of the Ramayana. Be established in the faith that Rama is the reality of your existence."
(Click on Part 1 and Part 2 to download PDF versions)