Sri Datta Sai Manga Bharadwaja Nilayam @ Nagole, Hyderabad, India on May 15th 2014

The physical symbol of their presence. Like Baba's Dwarakamayi, there is Master garu's Ammagaru's Nilayam for us. It is said that where ever Mahatmas set foot even for a short while, that place becomes as potent and sacred as a Teertha kshetra (centre of pilgrimage); A place which has the capacity to evoke all that positive and holy within us, answer our prayers and give us peace and solace. Then what to say of the residence of Mahatmas?

Nilayam by moonlight

Let not familiarity tarnish this value in  our hearts. Let us live and pray here as Baba spoke of the Samadhi mandir. Let us have the devotion  and wisdom of Lakshmi the calf which after one visit to Ramanashram, retraced the path on her own and after arriving there every morning, never left till the evening to the last day of her life.

Jai Sai Master

Deeksha Schedule @ Nagole, Hyderabad from 7-4-2014 to 11-04-2014

Deeksha Schedule given by Divyajanani Alivelu Mangamma Garu leading up to Pujya Sai Master Krutagnata Mahotsavam Aradhana Utsavam 12th April 2014

Half hour slots of Namam, Dhyana, Bhajana & Parayana in that order. Repeated cycle of the same. Books studied in Parayana slot were first Sri Bhagwan Bharadwaja followed by Mahatmula Muddubiddadu.

Essence of Srimad Bhagwatam - Pujya Ekkirala Krishnamacharya

"What the heck are you doing with your life?"! is a common refrain we
heard from our parents while growing up. At Nagole, our Guru Kutumbam
who have taken on themselves the role of being parent, mentor, friend
and philosopher, often ask, 'Why have you come here?'. 

Strange question that. Not a question that you would hear at other 'Guru' type
conventions and retreats, I guess. The idea is to remind us of the
objectives or ideals which brought us to their feet, regardless of the
circumstances which vary from person to person. Some have come here
because their spouses are devoted, others for children, others to heal
from some physical illness or mental misery. Our problems vary but after coming here the problems are solved or resolved. ie. The problem may
get a solution or more often, the 'problem' as we understand it, no
longer exists through right understanding. Then what? 

Do we then pack up our bags and head back to our lives the way we lived earlier? Or do we try to take up this thread of hope, this
glimmer of right understanding of

 i) the nature of our mind 

 ii) the nature of the universe

 iii) our relation to the universe and therefore

 iv) what is life, its goals and how to live it

and get to the crux of this new learning and understanding.....

Or even worse, we live on here in a limbo, creating more pressing 'problems' with our problem oriented thinking.

Ammagaru, Smt. A. Vedavathi garu and Babugaru (Ekkirala Dwarakanath Jnaneswar)has spared no efforts in giving us this light, the perspective in which
we are to understand Pujya Master's books and teachings. But the choice of the path is ours.

Last month, Babugaru shared with us this invaluable speech in Telugu by Master
Ekkirala Krishnamacharya garu, Master garu's elder brother, which
encapsulates the essence of Srimad Bhagwatam and the essence of what we
are learn by practice here at Nagole.

Essence of Srimad Bhagavatam

"Sri Sai Leelamritam" Krutagnataarchana

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Sree Sai Leelamruthamu Krutagnataarchana is conducted on the the second Sunday of May each year. This event is small token of gratitude towards the marvellous divine literature Sree Sai Leelamruthamu /Sai Baba Jeevita Charitra  (Telugu), Sai Baba the Master (English) written by Pujya Acharya Sri Ekkirala Bharadwaja. This year it was celebrated in Nagole, Hyderabad on 13th May, 2012.

Fortunately, we have available to us the video recording of the entire function. So we can participate again and again and keep alive the 'krutagnata (reverent gratitude) bhavana' in us when we perform our daily reading of this great book - 'the sadguru in the word form'.

These books can be read online @ www.saibharadwaja.org

Wither Human being ?

Swami Vivekananda has said, 'So long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every man a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them'. The Bible says 'Do unto others as you would have others do unto you (Matthew 7:12)'. 

But the unspoken question all of us appear to have is  that we are overburdened with our lives and problems, we have come into Baba's fold to find solutions to our own problems, what can we do for others?

One of the oft repeated themes in Ammagaru's messages at Satsangs at Nagole is there can be no spirituality without 'being human' in the first place. Without basic kindness and consideration for others, we are just 'manushya rupena mrigah charanti' (beasts in the garb of men/women).

It does not always mean great acts of social service. Simple things such as not hogging the best spot under the fan, the wall support, the seating area (while many others stand outside), the front spot etc in the satsang hall indicate how much we care about others and inversely about ourselves! We are inherently selfish and the only way to get out of it is to start doing things for others. 

In this respect Ammagaru believes that the old way of village life was better. Everyone knew everyone else and came forward to help. Whereas in our insulated independent houses and apartment complexes, we often do no even know whether our neighbours are in or not, whether they are ill or have visitors and perhaps simply making tea could help them out. Further, everyone knowing everyone's business also acted as  collective social restraint on individuals deviating from positive behaviour.

On this topic, it is worth our while to read DJ's post on  Society and the Individual.

Easier said than done, one might say, but one has to begin somewhere and better late than never!

Please feel free to post your comments.

Food, Festival and Family

With Diwali just past and Christmas and New Year round the corner, the general mood is festive. And food is synonymous with festivals and family time. Interestingly, every mahatma has performed leelas in relation to food.

Sri Krishna in the Mahabharata, saved the Pandavas in the forest from the sage Durvasa's curse, by partaking a single morsel of rice left over in their Akshayapatra, thus in effect feeding all the hungry sages.

In the Sree Guru Charitra (click the title to read the book), Chapter 19, there is the story of Bhaskara Sharma, a poor but devout brahmin who came to offer food to  Sree Guru with provisions enough for only three persons. The Master asked him to invite all for lunch. When he did so, '...they (other disciples) heckled him saying, ' We are more numerous than the grains you have cooked. How dare you invite all of us?'....When the food was being served it was found that though the preparations were meagre, what was being served was enormous in quantity...'

In The Supreme Master (click the title to read the book), Chapter 2, there is a similar great leela performed by Sri Akkalkot Maharaj. 

One of our fondest memories of Pujyasri Mastergaru is an occasion when he mixed rice with his own hands and fed young and old alike. During the summer months, when it is very hot in Ongole, and kids would often skip food in favour of cool drinks, Ammagaru would herself mix rice and making every one sit around her, with lively words would make them eat enough to last a few mealtimes. At Nagole too the tradition continues. Ammagaru has taught us to cook for large numbers, for everyone is family!, and spend our leisure time together. Ammagaru herself plans surprise, special treats made out of the simplest ingredients; made all the more special because there is no formal occasion for it. And the taste is indescribably delicious. While we savour the food, all we are asked to do is to think, ' What am I here for? What do I hope to achieve? Have I achieved it? '  

Such is their love and grace!

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The Gospel of Matthew VI: 

[31] 'Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?' 

[32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

[33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

[34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof


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