Ravi S. Iyer: Spiritual

Reproduced on 30th May 2016, from my post on another blog: http://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.in/2016/05/obama-abe-make-emotionally-moving-and.html dated May 27th 2016. Today (May 27th 2016), USA President Obama made a historic visit to the Hiroshima peace memorial as the first USA president to visit the memorial to that horrific atom-bombing of Hiroshima on August 6th 1945 [See  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki ]. Note that it is close to 71 years since the atom-bombing event. However, it must also be noted that Nazi Germany had surrendered to the Allies on May 8th 1945 and that the Japanese were warned about destruction if they did not surrender. From the above-mentioned wiki page, "Together with the United Kingdom and China, the United States called for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed forces in the Potsdam Declaration on July 26, 1945—the alternative being "prompt and utter destruction". The Japanese response ...

[Note that this post has been updated on 23rd Feb. 2017. The earlier version of this post titled, "Top 30 odd posts (300 views or more) of this blog (from Aug. 2013)" is provided at the bottom of this post,] Minor update to change blogspot.in to blogspot.com on 20th Sep. 2020 Minor update on 14th Dec. 2023 Top 27 blog posts by views as of 23rd Feb. 2017 (excluding referrer spam) 1) 13310 views - Radio Sai article on recent Swami (Sathya Sai Baba) subtle form appearance controversy, written on July 11th 2014, last updated on Aug. 11th 2015, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2014/07/radio-sai-article-on-recent-swami.html 2) 3197 views - Subtle Swami (Sathya Sai Baba) controversy blog post search ranks and stats; Let us resolve this confusion NOW, March 16th 2015, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2015/03/subtle-swami-sathya-sai-baba.html 3) 2063 views - [THIS POST]  New title - Top 27 blog posts having 500 views or more as of 23rd Feb 2017, Old Title - Top 30 odd post...

Last updated on 30th May 2016 Mr. V,R. Ganti has put up a Facebook post providing Prof. Anantharaman's views/responses/explanation on his having gone to Muddenahalli group and offered Arathi at a function there. The post is titled, PROF ANANTHARAM - VISIT TO MHALLI - JUSTIFIES - NOT APPEALING THOUGH, https://www.facebook.com/notes/vr-ganti/prof-anantharam-visit-to-mhalli-justifies-not-appealing-though/10206736666839946 , dated May 28th 2016. I have reproduced below my comment (slightly edited) on the above Facebook post of Mr. V.R. Ganti: First of all I would like to remind readers about the great service Prof. Anantharaman has given to Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT) in his capacity as Media Co-ordinatinator, SSSCT. Please see my Facebook post, April 2012: My appreciation for Prof. Anantharaman's wonderful Sai service as Media Co-ordinator, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2016/05/april-2012-my-appreciation-for-prof.html . Now coming to the current matter, in Prof...

Last updated on 2nd June 2016 I felt it appropriate to reproduce the following email of mine dated April 17th 2012 to Prof. Anantharaman, then Media-Coordinator, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. The text of the email(s) is reproduced below: from: Ravi Iyer <ravi@raviiyer.org> to:      Media Co-ordinator <media@sssct.org> date:   Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 1:48 PM subject: Fwd: My appreciation for Prof. Anantharaman's wonderful Sai service as Media Co-ordinator Dear Prof. Anantharaman, Sai Ram sir! I felt it appropriate to "go public" with my appreciation for your wonderful services, sir, within a small (BCC) email community that I write to. It includes some faculty of SSSIHL and some other Puttaparthi Sai institution members. The concerned mail is forwarded below. It has a slightly edited version of my previous mail to you, sir. Regards Ravi ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ravi Iyer <ravi@raviiyer.org> ...

Given below is an extract from Divine Discourse of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, from Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974, www.sssbpt.info/summershowers/ss1974/ss1974part1-03.pdf : This power or strength which we attempt to describe by the word Brahman is not something which is external to and outside you. It is present in you and is in your own self. If you acquire some good or bad, and if you have the misapprehension that Brahman outside is causing good or bad to you, or that He is giving some punishment to you, this is not the right attitude. Do not cultivate the habit of building castles in the air and getting tired by thinking that you will do this and that, you will achieve this and that. The fruits that you get will correspond to whatever seeds you plant. If the seed is one thing and if you have the ambition to get a different fruit, how is it possible? You may be very clever, but all the cleverness is of no avail if you are not giving up your mean qualities. Whatever good or b...

Last updated on 25th May 2016 I was given to understand that some staff/teachers of a Prasanthi Nilayam educational institution visited Muddenahalli group at Kodaikanal, recently. I felt it to be my duty to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, my beloved Gurudev, to publicly express my criticism of such a visit by staff who, whether paid or honorary, are associated with Prasanthi Nilayam (PN) educational institutions. If the words I have written below seem harsh I am sorry about it. But I think the words have to be said. Enough is enough! If teachers/staff of such PN institutions go to Muddenahalli group, what sort of signal will they be sending to students as well as Sai devotees associated with official Sai orgn.? Teachers are looked up as role models not only by students in Sai system but by Sai devotees in general. In their public life, I think Sai educational institutions' teachers have to live up to some standards of ethical behaviour. Private life is a different matter; my vi...

Above pic: Nisargadatta Maharaj In the context of a Facebook conversation I made the following comments (slightly edited), which I felt appropriate to put up as a separate post: I wanted to mention that I recall reading that Nisargadatta got closely associated with a spiritual guru as a shishya/student/follower. The guru taught him a Jnana marga path. Later Nisargadatta was with his family, perhaps ran his tobacco & bidi shop (common in rural and semi-urban Maharashtra even in the 90s as I have seen many such shops; and they were respected shops in such rural and semi-urban communities), but also taught others the Jnana marga path that he was taught by his Guru, and by which he claimed to have achieved self-realization. Now Nisargadatta was not, I believe, a scholar of Hindu scripture like a Veda or Shastra pandit. However, as he was taught Jnana Marga by his guru, in my view, he surely has to be viewed as coming from a Guru-shishya parampara, and so certainly qualified ...

A great quote: “Theologians may quarrel, but the mystics of the world speak the same language.” - Meister Eckhart (1260 - 1328), mystic and Catholic German theologian, http://www.imere.org/content/mystical-experience-meister-eckhart . Here's his wiki page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meister_Eckhart .

In FB post, https://www.facebook.com/sathyanarayana.raju.9/posts/783794481757038 , I commented as follows: These matters are super-sensitive. First, one must know whether Shri Ajit Poppat is willing to PUBLICLY stand by these statements (which had been shared on social media by somebody else, some time back). As far as I know there has been no PUBLIC confirmation from Shri Ajit Poppat about these statements. And even if there were a public confirmation from Shri Ajit Poppat, he then should be willing to interact with Sai fraternity on the matter. I am sure that even if he does not directly use social media he will surely have some persons who will be willing to help him do that. See, it is not as if all people in Prasanthi Nilayam around Bhagavan's physical form were all perfect people. Neither is it the case that people around Bhagavan's physical form were bad people. I served in the Sai university as a Honorary Staff/Honorary Faculty/Visiting Faculty from Jan. 2003 to ...

Last updated on 6th May 2016 Above pic courtesy:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1234268493251689&set=a.652021858143025.1073741826.100000056518474 Ravi: The student who is showing Baba the Holy Book of Islam, is a Muslim. I have taught him (in the Sai university/SSSIHL). Wonderful Muslim student - very humble and loving. Wonderful photograph of Swami and him. I later recalled that the student behind him is also a Muslim. He was also humble and loving when I taught him.

In his recent Facebook post (dated May 3rd, 2016), A PUBLIC STATEMENT ABOUT THE #MUDDENAHALLI NONSENSE!, https://www.facebook.com/notes/aravind-balasubramanya/public-statement-on-muddenahalli-happenings-dharma-sansthapanarthaya-sambhavami-/10209700208686062 , Aravind Balasubrmanya writes: I have come to know of various efforts by different individuals to portray me as someone who is 'silently supporting' the self-appointed successor to our dear #SathyaSai - the so called 'Sukshma Baba' who is invisible and non-existent, yet seems to need money, cars, food - everything in the physical domain. ... I am totally against what is happening in the name of “Sukshma Baba” at Muddenahalli. It pains my heart as much as forgery, corruption or scandal pain my heart. It pains even more sometimes because it is being done in the name of the personal God who I continue to worship. ... ..I am clear which side I am on - the side of my Lord, Sri Sathya Sai. And He has clearly told ...

"Sometimes, an element of weakness enters these organisations as the leaders themselves get drawn towards other men, other God men or other great men and therefore, there are bumps and jumps in this spiritual progress. "... "Similarly you are unable to recognise the wastage of time and the hurt, despair, disgust and disappointment caused by running after this Baba and that Baba. At some places, some people claim that they are possessed by Baba and perform several acts which are wonderful and members, the leaders themselves are mislead by such acts and give propagation and publicity to such stunts. When you have Swami himself, the genuine Swami right in front of you, why do you care for the duplicates? Some organisations are in a state of utter confusion in some places because of this kind of behaviour." For seeing the complete segment as well as listen to the audio please visit http://www.sathyasaispeaks.org/index/clips/?sid=44&cid=4&aid=10632

Here's a very interesting quote of Mother Teresa, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa , "I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that he will guide me to do whatever I'm supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I'm praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things.", http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/719941-i-used-to-pray-that-god-would-feed-the-hungry . Above pic of Mother Teresa courtesy:  http://atingl.nic.in/Mother%20Teresa.htm Ravi: An ancient Hindu saying is: Yad bhaavam tad bhavathi! Which I think can be translated to: As is the  feeling, so it will happen (in future). I think devout and intense prayer is deep feeling within one's heart and mind, and that deep feeling results in transformation in the direction of the feelings/prayer. [I thank goodreads.com and atingl.nic.in and have presumed th...