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NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM Issue # 5 1
NASSTA NEWSLETTER Om Sai Ram
5th Issue
July 2013
OM SAI RAM IN THIS ISSUE
This is our fifth NAASTA newsletter with
the list of upcoming events, temple
pictures, stories and future temple
projects. With our devotee’s participation,
we would like to publish more monthly
newsletters.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Man is lost and is wandering in a
jungle where real values have no
meaning. Real values can have
meaning to man only when he
steps on to the spiritual path, a
path where negative emotions
have no use.”
EVENTS AT NASSTA
1. Lecture in Telugu – Sri
Samavedam Shanmukha
Sarma
Friday, July 5th, 2013 from 6.30
pm to 8.30 pm
2. Health Fair
Saturday, July 13th & 20th, 2013
NASSTA is conducting a health fair
on July 13th (blood work) and July
20th (consultation).We are
requesting all our trustees who are
doctors to volunteer their time for this
cause on July 20th. If you are not a
doctor but know somebody else who
can participate in this fair, that is also
welcome. Please contact Sohini
Ayinala at [email protected] if you
are able to spare few hours on July
20th.
3. Guru Purnima
Monday, July 22nd, 2013
ARATI TIME - EVERYDAY
Kakad Arati –6:00 am
Abhishekham - 6:30 am
Madhyana Arathi –12:00 pm
Dhoop Arati –6 pm
Shej Arati – 8:30 pm
FREE BHAJAN CLASSES - CHANGED
Friday 7.30 pm Children and Adults
are welcome to attend. Look forward
to your participation!
SAI ELEVEN ASSURANCES
SAI ELEVEN ASSURANCES
1. Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi
soil, their sufferings will come to an
end.
2. The wretched and miserable will rise
to joy and happiness as soon as they
climb the steps of the mosque.
3. I shall be ever active and vigorous
even after leaving this earthly body.
4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the
needs of my devotees.
5. I shall be active and vigorous even
from my tomb.
6. My mortal remains will speak from
my tomb.
7. I am ever living to help and guide all
who come to me, who surrender to
me and who seek refuge in me.
8. If you look to me, I look to you.
9. If you cast your burden on me, I shall
surely bear it.
10. If you seek my advice and help, it
shall be given to you at once.
11. There shall be no want in the house of my devotee.
Gurupurnima
NORTH AMERICA SHIRDI SAI TEMPLE OF ATLANTA 700 JAMES BURGESS ROAD, SUWANEE, GA 30024
Phone: 678-455-7200 www.atlantasaitemple.org
July 22, 2013 - Monday
Sponsorships:
6:00 AM Kakad Arathi
6:30 AM Nava Kalasa Avahanam, Sankalpam, Punyahavachanam
7:00 AM Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama & Sri Sainatha Mula Mantra
Homam
9:30 AM Sri Sainaatha Abhishekam
10:30 AM Sri Dattatreya Abhishekam
12:00 Noon Madhyana Arathi
2 PM – 6 PM Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam (108 times)
6:00 PM Sandhya Arathi
6.30 PM Palki Seva
7:15 PM Sri Sai Vratham (Open to all - 108 families) Please sign up at Temple front desk
9.30 PM Shej Arathi 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sri Sai Satcharitra Parayanam by devotees
(Please sign up at Temple front desk)
Sri Sainatha Mula Mantra Homam $51.00
Sri Sainaatha Abhishekam $51.00
Sri Dattatreya Abhishekam $51.00
All day Sponsorship $116.00
Temple opens from 5.45AM to 10.00PM
NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 5 2
With Guru Poornima being celebrated his month, we sought out to do some research from various sources for the general benefit of all Devotees. The results are published below in a concise format. This is only an attempt to summarize what other authors, preachers, documents and books have said about this great event. This document is by no means a complete or authoritative account of the subject but will serve as a good starting point.
Description of Guru:
The human soul, even though
initiated in the spiritual path,
cannot love an abstract power;
and it is for this reason that the
scriptures advise us to venerate
those who lead us to God and to
love their physical presence as
the Divine manifesting itself in
human form. The Guru's physical
body is just a receptacle of the
mighty Divine, and as such worthy
of the utmost devotion and
reverence.
God as the abstract Creator
eludes our imagination, but when
a human temple enshrines divinity
we begin to understand through
this familiar medium the purpose
of our own ultimate destiny. Thus,
when God assumes a human
form, He establishes Himself as
the Guru. Guru is manifested
God- this is perhaps the most
succinct and satisfying definition
of the word, and eliminates the
false claims of some so-called
Gurus who are ready to assume
the mantle of spiritual authority
without the true manifestation of
the divine principle.
The Guru as manifested God
soon becomes the Light, the
inspiration and the great
exemplar. The life of the average
seeker, as it is lived on the
material and physical level, is
barren and unproductive until it
finds its focus in the Master. It
requires the grace, protection and
the powerful push of the Guru to
release this imprisoned splendor
which lies captive in each and
every one of us.
The Guru and God are one
because the Almighty and His
medium of manifestation cannot
be different. The Guru embodies
not only the Saguna
(characteristics) but also the
Nirguna(quality) of the Supreme
Being, and so to that extent the
Guru is approachable and
accessible to man's needs and
comprehension.
Relationship between a Guru and
a Disciple:
Once a contact between the Guru
and the bhakta (disciple) is
established, the relationship
between master and disciple
becomes a thing of beauty. This
leads us to consider the principle
of reciprocity which operates in
this relationship. In return for the
innumerable demands which a
bhakta makes on the Master, it is
but natural that the Guru too
should impose a few conditions
on the bhakta. The Guru expects
total surrender, absolute
obedience and, the last and most
important, supreme effort.
Guru Poornima Festival – July 22nd 2013
NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 5 3
Guru's mission:
The Guru's mission appears to be
two-fold. The first and most
important concern of the Guru is
to awaken, elevate and transform
the seeker. The second and final
purpose of the Guru is
paradoxically to help the disciple
seeker to transcend this state of
complete dependence on the
Master, which dependence the
Guru himself had taken such
pains to foster. The final spurt of
realizing his true identity with God
is exclusively the Seeker's job.
Saint of Shirdi - Shri Sai Baba -
Saguna Brahma - Guru:
The saint of Shirdi recognized and
emphasized the beauty of a Guru-
guided life. Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi
is the Guru incarnate to live on
this earth in the late part of last
century and early part of this
century. Shri Sai Baba gave
tremendous importance to the
adoption of the Guru in one's
spiritual "Sadhana"(pursuit). With
an innate compassion Shri Sai
Baba often declared -"I am your
savior, not only from the weight of
sin, but from the weight of care
and misery". "Guru is all the
Gods", said the Saint of Shirdi.
Moreover, the Baba declared
reassuringly though as the all-
pervading Guru he would naturally
expect complete surrender,
obedience and loyalty, he
promised that through his
supreme powers he would extend
complete protection to those who
put their implicit faith in him.
Is Surrender to the Guru the only
Sadhana Prayer?:
This question was hotly debated
even in the presence of Baba.
The answer to this complex
question as given by Shri Sai
Baba comes straight out of Sri Sai
Satcharita.
Kakasaheb Dixit (an ardent
Devotee of Shri Sai Baba) has
published his notes regarding this
matter. Next day after
Hemadpant's meeting with Sai
Baba, Kakasaheb went to Baba
and asked whether he should
leave Shirdi. Baba Said, "Yes".
Then someone asked - "Baba,
where to go?" Baba said, "High
up." Then the man said, "How is
the way?" Baba said, "There are
many ways leading there; there is
one way also from here (Shirdi).
The way is difficult. There are
tigers and wolves in the jungles
on the way." I (Kakasaheb) asked
- "But Baba, what if we take a
guide with us?" Baba answered, -
"Then there is no difficulty. The
guide will take you straight to your
destination, avoiding wolves,
tigers and ditches etc. on the way.
If there be no guide, there is the
danger of your being lost in the
jungles or falling into ditches."
Mr. Dabholkar was present on this
occasion and he thought that this
was the answer Baba gave to the
question whether Guru was a
necessity (Vide Sai Leela Vol. I,
No.5, Page 47); and he thereupon
took the hint that no discussion of
the problem, whether man is free
or bound, is of any use in spiritual
matters, but that on the contrary
real Paramartha (absolute
meaning) is possible only as the
result of the teachings of the
Guru, as is illustrated in this
chapter of the original work in the
instances of great Avatars like
Rama and Krishna, who had to
submit themselves to their Gurus,
Vasishtha and Sandipani
respectively, for getting self-
realization and that the only
virtues necessary for such
NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 5 4
progress are faith and patience.
Vide Sai Satcharita, Ch. II, 191-
92).
Has Shri Sai Baba qualified to be
a Guru?
Not only did the Saint of Shirdi
perform his duties of Guruship
during his life, but was able to
establish a lasting Guru-
parampara (successors of Guru's)
through his vision and foresight.
Shri Sai Baba was not content to
transfer his messiahship to his
descendants. In the last years of
his life, he said to his devotees
with a mother's solicitude, "Do not
grieve when my body passes
away. My tomb will live and move
and speak with all those who
make me their sole refuge." Sai
Baba's promise is abundantly
fulfilled even to-day. Millions of
devotees flock to his Samadhi
regularly to seek his blessings.
Through decades of void there
comes echoing down the years
the gracious message- "Lo, I am
beside you always".
Significance of Guru Poornima
Day.
The Poornima(Full Moon) Day in
the month of Ashadha(July-
August) is known as Guru
Poornima. This is a very sacred
day on which special worship is
performed to the Acharyas
(Gurus), who, through their Infinite
Compassion and Supreme Grace,
have imparted the Knowledge of
the Absolute(Brahma Vidya)
through a long and continuous
line of Acharyas (Guru
Parampara) to all the Seekers of
the Self.
Celebration of Guru Poornima
Day in Shirdi
The celebration of Guru Poornima
began in Shirdi around 1908. One
day Shri Baba told his disciple
Shri Dada Kelkar, "Do you know
this day is the day to approach
Gurus? Bring your worship
articles". Then Shri Kelkar and his
friends looked up the calendar
and found that the day was Guru
Poornima day. They started
worshipping Shri Sai Baba as
their Guru, and that practice has
continued till today not only in
Shirdi but all over the world where
prayers are offered to Shri Sai.
How does one celebrate Guru
Poornima?
Guru Poornima is celebrated by
devotees by performing Guru
Pooja (offering prayers to the
Guru) to our Lord Shri Sai Baba.
Each Sai Devotee can either
perform the Sai Guru Pooja
(prayer) at home or attend a Sai
Guru Pooja or sponsor a Sai Guru
Pooja being performed at a Sai
temple by offering donation or
other articles used in Pooja (Pooja
samagri).
One can attend a bhajan or visit a
Sai Mandir where ever possible.
NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 5 5
Source: Shri Sai Leela Magazine – February 1985 By Sai
Devotee Mrs. Usha Ranganathan Chikmagalur Karnataka
Our love to Sainath should be wholehearted. Then it
banishes the feeling of loneliness and dependence on
human relationships. The companionship of Sai is
incomparable. Man, in his arrogance, says that he is able
to do all things. If a man thinks that he is able to do
anything, he will come to know by experience that by his
effort be is not able to do anything. When that stage is
reached he surrenders to God, confessing that he is
helpless. Unless we feel that “We are nothing and He is
everything”, he will not accept us. So he alone must guide
us on the right path.
A devotee rightly says "O Sainath, I remember you
because you remembered me first." Sainath must draw us
towards Him. Then alone we can go to Him. It is just like a
needle attracted by a magnet. We must become needles
to the divine magnet to draw us towards it.
How to become needles? This is possible only by wishing
to have Sainath, aspiring to have Sainath and Sainath
alone and nothing else in the world
Shri Paramabamsa Yoganandaji quoted as follows; which
is a direct perception of truth ;-
" ... if we are influenced by-the values of outward material
consciousness, we lay ourselves open to sadness and
depression. Why ? Because in this world of duality - life
and death, pleasure and pain, wealth and poverty -
everything passes away; nothing here gives lasting
satisfaction. To a person, life seems to be one paradox
and injustice after another and this produces deep
frustration. On the other hand, the person who realizes
that God is with him despite all adverse circumstances
cannot be affected by the machinations of satanic force of
duality. If we learn to lift ourselves above the
consciousness of duality, we can keep our serenity amidst
the crash of breaking worlds...... "
When the storms of life seem to be crashing all around,
we might wonder if Sainath is aware. Indeed He is. He is
always watching over us, silently guiding us, speaking to
us through the voice of eternity, when we turn within and
become calm.
So we MUST BECOME NEEDLES TO THE
GREAT MAGNET - Lord Sainath.
Shri Sachidananda Sadhguru SaiNath Maharaj Ki Jai!
..
NASSTA ADDRESS
700 James Burgess Road
Suwanee GA 30024
(678)455-7200
http://www.atlantasaitemple.org
TEMPLE HOURS
Mon, Tue, Wed 5:45 AM to 8:00 AM, 11:45
AM to 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Thu 5.45 AM to 9:30 PM
Fri, Sat, Sun 5:45 AM to 9:00 PM
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