SPECIAL FOCUS NOVEMBER 2008

1000 Moons of the Sai Avatar

This came in the week via email circulation worldwide …

There is a tremendous interest that has been generated by the Sahasra PoornaChandra Darshanam that is to begin on the 15th of November. And why not? For has not the Lord Himself undertaken to perform this Yajnam?

The Sahasra Poorna Chandra Darshanam stands as a joyous confluence signifying the completion of 82 years in the divine mission of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai. Sahasra chandra darshanam refers to seeing 1000 full moons in ones life. With a full moon in every month, we have 12 full months every year and with a subsequent inclusion of the extended months; we would have 1000 full moons in 82 years.

The nine planets take 120 years to complete a cycle. Astrology assigns 120 years to human life. At the age of 60, people conduct UGRA RATHA SHANTI seeking Divine benediction, popularly known as Shashti Poorthi. When one crosses 70 years of age BHEEMA RATHA SHANTI would be held in honour of "Bheema ratha", Shiva the embodiment of time. When one reaches 82 years of age, Sahasra Chandradarshanam would be celebrated. Vedas refer to this as "ASEETIDVAYAM" and hence it is also called as Vedayushya.

       
Traditionally, what happens during this Sahasra Chandra Darshanam? A person completing this age would be given ceremonial showers and would be adorned with new clothes.

Vedic hymns would be recited by the vedic scholars.A holy vessel signifying the Lord Lakshminarayana, flanked by sun and moon- the symbols of flow of time, would be installed on either side and worshipped subsequently. The holy water collected in the kalasham would then be vitalized with Vedic hymns using different kinds of leaves namely mango, peepal, banyan etc. The presiding deities of the nine planets would then be pleased through a sacrifice.

After this holy ablutions would be given to Lord Shiva accompanied by the recitation of the Namakam and Chamakam (Rudram). The person completing 82 years would then be made to occupy a prominent throne. He would be given a bath with holy waters from all the sacred rivers along with many other precious gems etc. Subsequently all the Vedic scholars would be honoured with generous gifts. This generosity is believed to wash away all the sins and grant liberation. The mere sight of the person who undertakes this Vedic exercise is believed to confer immense good fortune. Generally the great grandsons would organize and conduct this ritual in celebration of their great grandfather completing 82 years of age. The whole ritual is undertaken for ones own benefit.

But today we are going to witness this holy ritual being organized and conducted by an incarnation to bring upon peace and happiness in the world. The purity of human expression makes the grandeur of this spectacle impossible to comprehend. Sages of the yore have transformed themselves as His great grandsons to conduct this ritual.

Chandra- the moon signifies coolness and acts as a source of joy to all the worlds.

In Krita yuga the mighty king who upheld the truth came to be called as "Satya Harishchandra" . In Treta the Lord was called as "Sree Rama Chandra". In Dwapara He was addressed as "Krishna Chandra" and today the same lord has witnessed thousand moons and is extolled as "Sathya Sai Chandra". The effulgence of this "Sathya Sai Chandra" has blessed every nook and corner of the world.

The installation of Holy vessels in this case has taken place long ago. With His will He brought the Holy Ganges from the hair locks of Shiva into his own heart and then quenched the thirst of thousands of parched throats. Revitalizing the slumbering lives of rural India and assuring of His grace and support, He has encouraged them to move ahead to touch the horizons of happiness. Blessing thousands of students with the knowledge of the higher Self and sending them forth to this wide world, this unrivalled master of Divine perfection has granted the boon of knowledge and wisdom to the hearts of humanity.

Om Sai Ram (Courtesy: KM, Mukesh Patel 05.11.2008)

Puttaparthilive. com Newsletter

November 15^th  

Sahasra Poorna Chandra Darshana Santhi Mahotsavam                                        begins this morning the event began in Hill view stadium with Sri Sathya Sai Baba's divine blessings. Swami arrived at Hill view stadium at 8:30 am blessing all the devotees and the event. Swami stayed at the stadium for two hours watching the proceedings and blessing all the devotees in Hill view stadium. Then at 10:30 am Swami left the stadium and returned to mandir.

The yagnam which started at 7:30 am will go on till 1:00 pm in the afternoon.

It will again resume at 3:30 pm and will go on till 6:00 pm. There will also be a musical performance this evening by Priya sisters.

A video of the event will be available at  Radiosai.org, they are also planning to bring daily highlights.
 

MEDITATION ON LORD SIVA  PART I

SAGUNA MEDITATION

Saguna meditation is meditation on a form.

An archer first aims at a gross, big object.  Then he takes up a medium object.  Finally, he shoots at very small and minute objects.  Even so, one should take to Saguna meditation to start with, and when the mind is trained and disciplined well, he can have, Nirguna meditation.

Saguna meditation is meditation on a concrete object.  Saguna meditation is peculiarly pleasing the Bhakta, who loves to gaze on the peculiar form of his Ishta.  Saguna Upasana removes Vikshepa * …

Today we can meditate on the form of Siva or the form of Swami, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, including anything known to be symbolic and dwell on the meaning of the symbols ie the lotus feet, the hand raised in blessing, the aura, the halo, the crescent moon on the head of Lord Siva, his trident etc.  The more the we know the meaning of the symbols the more this practice brings. SE

* Definition of Vikshepa – the projecting power that causes the creation of the universe from the subtle elements of the cosmos

RUDRAM

November 6 2008

A lot of Rudram chanting and learning is going on in Puttaparthi and all around the globe too. That's what happens when anything receives patronage from God Himself! Today, Swami added something very special to the "incentives list" of this "patronage package". It was the fulfillment of a promise that had been made at the very beginning of the Rudram tutorials - Swami had said, "I will personally give prizes to those who learn the Rudram well." As per His command, 150 members from the staff and students of the Sathya Sai University and the Central Trust who were well versed in the Rudram, sat in the mandir portico by 8:00 am.

Swami came to the portico and then had the Dhoties brought. To the delightful amazement of all, Swami was gifting His very own brand new silk dhoties to all! Everyone felt a surge of thrill and as the Rudram chants continued to eclipse any other sound vibrations in the vicinity, Swami began to call the boys one by one and hand delivered the bundles of silken joy. As He was distributing, He openend up many of them and asked as to where the Angavastrams (the cloth put on the upper half of the body) were.

He commanded that the Angavastrams too be distributed to those that had already received the dhoties from His hands. The distribution went on for about 20 minutes after which Swami sat listening to the chants. It was a really vibrant and vibrational feeling to see the Lord amidst the divine chants. As Swami was moving to the car, there was another chant- this time in English, as all cried out, "Thank you Swami!" And then, in the perfect silence that ensued after that, Swami said in His sweet gentle voice, "I have the right to give and you have the right to take. Why the thank you?" As He beamed a smile to the joyous gathering, smiles were beamed back at Him and shouts of "Jai Bolo Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ki Jai" rented the air.

From the Kulwant hall, Swami moved to the Vidyagiri stadium to check the progress of the stage being built along with the galleries being extended and the kitchen and bathrooms for the priests.

In the evening, Swami arrived at about 4:50 pm for the darshan round. As the bhajans were on, Swami came out and sat on the stage. So many students had letters and they were showing the letters to Him. Swami, in the middle of His rhythm tapping, signalled to the boys to put down their letters. But none seemed to obey. They held out with greater desperation and eagerness! After about 10 minutes, Swami called one boy and taking his letter, opened it. It was an A4 sized paper and both sides had been filled with writing. Swami had a shocked expression as He asked, "Why such big letters? Keep writing like mad people. Write only two or three lines - enough!" Blessing the boy nevertheless( !) He once again told towards all the students, "I will not take letters if you write such big ones!" After a while, one more student was called and Swami opened it. It was again a huge one! Swami gave that, "see-I-told- you" look and signalled that He would not take letters. At this point, some of them dropped open the letters to show Swami that theirs were small letters! Swami just smiled and after a while, He went back into the bhajan hall.

This is the first Section (below) of the Namakam of the Rudram

The first verse and the 17^th stand alone often.  The first verse is suitable to chant today for anyone not versed and wanting to take part.  Go to www.radiosai. org for Rudram learning.

Namakam

First Anuvaka (17 verses)

Om  namo  bhagava^te  ru_draaya                                               1

Om  na^maste  rudra_manya^va  _uto_ta  i^sha_ve  na^mah                                 2

Na^maste  as_tu  dhan^vane  _baahu bh^yaa _muta_te  na^mah

Ya _ta i^suh _shiva^tamaa _shivam _babhuu^va _te dha^nuh                         3

_Shivaa ^sha_rav^yaa yaa ta_va ta^yaa no rudra mrdaya

Yaa ^te rudra _shivaa _tanuura_ghoraa’^paapakaashinii                                4

Ta^yaa na_stanu_va shan^tama_ya gi^risan_taabhi^caakashiihi

Yaami^sum girishan_ta has^te bi_bharsyas^tave                                             5

_Shivaam ^giri_tra taam ^ku_ru maa hi^gm_sih pu^ru_sam ja^gat

_Shive_na  va^casaa  _tvaa  gi_risha^cchaavadaamasi                                         6

Ya^tha _nah ssar^va mijja^gad a_yaksmagm _suma_naa a^sat

Adh^yavocadadhi_vaktaa ^pra_thamo daiv^yo _bhisak                          7

Ahi^gm_sca sar^va-an_jambha_yant sar^va-asca yaatu_dhaan^yah

_Asau yas_taamro ^a_runa _uta _babhruh^ssu_manga^lah                                                     8

Ye _cemaagm _Rudraa _abhi^to _diksu _sritaah ^saha_sraso’vai_saagm

he^da iimahe

_Asau ^yo’ _vasar^pa_ti nii^lagri_vo vi^lohitah                                                       9

_Utai^nam _gopaa ^adr_sanna^drsannuda_haar^yah  

_Utai_nam vi^svaa _bhuutaa_ni sa _dristo ^mrdayaati nah

Na^mo as_tu nii^lagriivaaya saha_sraaksaa^ya miidhu ^se-e                              10

A_tho ye ^a_sya satt^vaa_no’ham te^bhyo’ka_ranna^mah

Pra^mu_nca dhan^va_nastva_mubha_yoraartⁿⁱ_yorjyaam                         11

Yaa^sca _te has_ta i^savah pa_raa taa ^bhagavo vapa

_Avatat_ya dha_nustvagm sa^hasraa_ksa sa^tesudhe                                        12

_Nisii^ya _salyaa_nam mu^khaa _sivo ^nah _suma^naa bhava

Vij_yam dha^nuh ka_pardi_no vi^sal_yo baa^navaagm _uta                                    13

A^nesa_nnasye^sava _aabu^rasya ni_sanga^thih

Yaa ^te _heir^miidhusta_ma has^te _babhuu^va _te dha^nuh                          14

Ta_yaa’smaan _visva_tastva^ma_yaksma_yaa pa^ribbhuja

Na^maste astvaa^yu_dhaayaa ^naatataaya _dhrsna ^ve-e                                   15

_Ubhaa^bhyaa_muta _te na^mo _baahubh_yaam ta_va dhan^vane

Pa^ri _te dhan^vano _heti_{r a}smaan^vrinaktu _visva^tah                           16

A_tho ya ⁱ_sudhista_vaare _asmanni^dhe_hi tam.

Na^maste astu bhagavan                                                                      17

visves_varaa^ya mahaa_devaa^ya

tryam_bakaa^ya tripuraan_takaa^ya trikaagni_kaalaa^ya

kaalaagni_rudraa^ya niila_kanthaa^ya

mrtyun_jayaa^ya sarves_varaa^ya sadaa_sivaa^ya

sriman mahaa_devaa_ya na^mah

From: THE YOGA OF SOUND

Healing and Enlightenment through the Sacred Practice of Mantra

Russil Paul (New World Library)

FOUR STREAMS OF SONIC MYSTICISM

‘The sophistication of the ancient Hindu mind is evident in their six major schools of philosophy, the complexity of their five thousand year old cities and their astounding mathematical capabilities, which include the origination of our modern number system – a discovery no less important than the mastery of fire, the development of agriculture or the invention of the wheel.  What differentiates the Hindu brilliance in logic and rational thought from its Hellenistic parallel is that Hindus were very aware of the intellect’s limitations.  They understood that only the feminine intuitive mind was capable of grasping the deepest spiritual truths in powerful flashes of intuition.  The Rishis were expert at this process and they left behind a gargantuan legacy of mantras to help awaken the same flashes of intuitive perception in us.  This huge body of sacred sound is essentially encoded in the most ancient of Hindu scriptures, collectively known as the Vedas, which date to between 1500 and 500 BC.  The mantras of the Vedas were originally an oral tradition that was refined over many millennia.

While the Vedas form the first formalised stream of Sound Yoga, there are actually four streams of sonic mysticism in the Hindu tradition.  Although each stream is distinct, they are interrelated.  For purposes of functionality and effectiveness, I have attributed relevant yogic terms to each of these streams; Shabda Yoga is the use of sacred sound derived from the Vedic tradition of mantra; Shakti Yoga is the sonic aspect of the Tantric tradition; Bhava Yoga represents the devotional chanting of the Bhakti tradition and Nada Yoga, yoga of sound.’…

Also …‘Shabda Yoga (Vedic Mantras): Architecture of the Gods and Keys to Intuitive Knowledge – Ved  means ‘to know’ – not to know about, but a knowing that is direct, intimate, wholesome and multidimensional.  Vedic mantras, which we will study under the broad stream of Shabda Yoga, combine sound, word and meaning to generate flashes of intuition, spiritual perception and poetic inspiration….’

TOTAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE