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AUM SRI SAI RAM NARAYAN SEVA
Sri Sathya Sai Baba has emphatically said that the only path to salvation is by rendering selfless service to God's creation. Baba says, "Seva brings you nearer to God. The flower that is your heart gets fragrance by means of the seva you do and so it is more acceptable to God. Through seva, you realize that all are waves of the ocean of Divinity. "No other Sadhana can bring you into the incessant contemplation of the oneness of all beings. To see everyone as yourself and yourself in everyone, this is the core of Seva." Seva makes one humble and slowly the heart softens into the softness of butter. You serve yourself when you serve another. The question that arises while doing seva is, are we serving God or is God serving us? When milk is offered to a child or a blanket to a shivering brother on the pavement, we are but placing a gift of God into the hands of another. The answer is God serves but He allows us to feel that we are serving. Fill every moment with gratitude to the giver and the recipient of the gifts. Efforts to serve must spring from concern for the suffering of others and the service must be the genuine effort to get rid of that anguish. Service is built on the strong foundation of Brotherhood of Man and Fatherhood of God. Baba says "The relief and joy that you give to the sick reach Me, for I am in their hearts and I am the One, they call out for. Remember with each act of Love and Service, you are nearing the Divine presence. Remember, Man alone is capable of Seva and that is his special glory and unique skill". Some of the Seva activities are - giving food to the hungry, distributing clothes to the needy, free hospitals and dispensaries, hospital visits, rural uplift, adult education, blood donation camps, visiting beggar home, homes for the disabled, and blind and slum upliftment. The best type of seva is feeding the poor and hungry people, who have never had in their lives the joy of eating a full meal. This is not mere charity. It is offering gratitude to God for giving us a chance to be of help to one's fellow men, who are all God's forms. It is an inner urge to experience kinship. NAGARSANKEERTAN
Sri. Sathya Sai Baba, the World Teacher, has revealed the significance of Nama Smarana (Repetition of the name of God) as an instrument for individual divinisation, social integration, and World Peace. Nama Smarana is the path of consciousness cleaning. Love is born from faith and it builds rapport with God within. It is said that as we go on chanting" His name peace prevails and we enjoy bliss. The awareness that God is within will always inspire courage and self-confidence. It promotes the Father-hood of God and Brother-hood of Man. We begin to experience unity in diversity. Nagar Sankeertan is also a programme of such nama smaran where the people assemble together early in the morning and walk along the streets singing the glory of God by way of group devotional singing. Nagar Sankeertan is not only a great spiritual practice but also a great social service. Swami says, "In towns and cities to-day, where can you find the pure Shabda Brahma (Pure Vibrations)/(God as sound) amidst the usual disturbing noises like the roaring of the vehicles, outcries of the vendors, din of the factories and shouts from the shops and markets? He therefore recommends that people should assemble at some place and conduct Nagar Sankeertan for half an hour or three-fourths of an hour. He advises that Nagar Sankeertan is a great spiritual practice for the purification of men's minds as well as the atmosphere. When we get up from the bed, if we hear the name of God, all the impurities of the heart will be removed. Sacred thoughts of Truth, Right conduct, Peace and Love will remain. The atmosphere polluted with untruth, hatred and greed can be made pure by Nagar Sankeertans only. Getting up early in the morning is also good for one's health. The heart gets filled with peace and happiness. One's egoism will vanish when one sings in the streets, in full view of the neighbours. Thus, Nagar Sankeertan is a three fold blessing, for it purifies those who sing, those who hear and also the environment. In this context, Baba wants us to understand the inter-relationship between the influence of good and bad vibrations on the behaviour of man, on the purity of the environment and on the food we eat. The nature of our thoughts depend upon the nature of our food, the nature of the food is determined by the nature of the environment and the nature of the environment in turn is influenced by the thoughts and behaviour of man. Therefore, the importance of good vibrations caused by singing the Lord's name and glory through Nagar Sankeertans in purifying both man and environment can hardly be over emphasized. If every one joins this spiritual practice, peace, bliss and harmony will be for all to experience easily. Sourced: From the pamphlets distributed on occasion of "Easwaramma Day" in Mumbai
"Individual effort and Divine Grace are interdependent. Without effort, there
will be no conferment of Grace. Without Grace, there can be no gain from the
effort. To win Grace, you need only have faith and virtue....knock, the doors
of Grace will open. Open the door, the sun's rays waiting outside will flow in
and fill the room with light." |
