Ravi S. Iyer: Spiritual

The article, http://www.mohdrafi.com/meri-awaaz-suno/mohammed-rafi-and-manoj-kumar-rafi-harmonic-for-mr-bharat.html , has the following pic of Mohd. Rafi sahab (legendary Hindi film playback singer, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Rafi ) and Manoj Kumar sahab (famous Hindi film star & director, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manoj_Kumar ) with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, taken sometime in the 1970s perhaps: The article itself does not say much about the pic but has a comment or two regarding the background to the pic. The article notes, "The first two popular songs from the film SHIRDI KE SAI BABA(1977) written by Manoj Kumar, “Sai Baba Bolo” and “Sainath Tere Hazaaron Haath” were sung by Mohammed Rafi under composition of Pandurang Dikshit. The film was also written and presented by Manoj Kumar." In Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/DeepakBharwani/posts/10212251442942158 , Mr. Deepak Bharwani states that the above mentioned film 'Shirdi ke Sa...

Today I spent a lot of time reading up and browsing about Print On Demand in general and Print On Demand (POD) services in India. I had mail exchanges with the same correspondent mentioned in my previous post today (29th Mar. 2017), Indian Correspondent shares self-publishing experience first with Power Publishers and recently with Amazon Kindle, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2017/03/indian-correspondent-shares-self.html . I have shared those mail exchanges in this post. First let me say something about Print On Demand (POD). Given below are extracts from the wiki page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Print_on_demand , (note that the wiki page, when it talks about many traditional small presses adopting POD, seems to be referring to the situation in USA and Western Europe, but which does not seem to be the case in India, as of now): Print on demand (POD) is a printing technology and business process in which book copies (or other documents) do not print until the company receives an...

Given below is an exchange (slightly edited) I recently had with an Indian correspondent who was OK with public sharing of it: Correspondent (C) wrote in response to initial part of my recent post: Need information/suggestions about printing 100 copies of 75 page paperback book, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2017/03/need-informationsuggestions-about.html , sent to him over email: Dear Ravi You pose an interesting question and one I have thought about a great deal over the last few years. First, you talk about the cost of printing a document in paperback format. What I have learned is that this is just one part of the cost. Unless you have a reliable and easily accessible outlet for the book, you will also have to distribute it (sell it). That is where the main problem lies. I used Power Publishers in Kolkata to publish my --snip-- book, --snip--. Their charges differ depending on the number of pages of the book and the services you require from them (e.g. cover design). The...

Last updated on 1st April 2017 I am exploring possibility of printing 100 copies of a, say, 50 page document, but as a, say, 75 page paperback book in India. 1) How much will it cost? That's the key question for me. Some more details and thoughts about it. Note that I have never published any regular (paper) book so far in my life (different from many, many software-technical and other documents that I have authored for private and public use). 2) The document that I am considering will be an updated version of this October 2013 document, iami1.wordpress.com Blog – Consolidated Doc. of Own Content (and wiki content), https://iami1.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/iami1-own-content-consolidated-201310241.pdf , which is 34 pages long. I will update it with later content and also modify it somewhat. So I expect it to grow to an around 50 page A4/Letter size document. I will also be changing the title to an appropriate one. 3) The convenience of reading and carrying the typical ...

An extract from the book, A SADHU’S REMINISCENCES OF RAMANA MAHARSHI, By SADHU ARUNACHALA (Major A. W. Chadwick), ebook available here: http://www.jainlibrary.org/elib_master/jlib/007501_book_english_41/Sadhus_Reminiscences_of_Raman_Maharshi_007606_std.pdf , is given below. It is from Page 15 of the ebook. Note that in the extract, He refers to Ramana Maharishi. --- start extract --- Bhagavan’s realization was not some featureless blank. Appearance continued for him but he knew it as appearance and was no longer deceived into thinking it was Reality. And here, I presume, lay his complete indifference to the world. It was all a dream anyhow, so why do anything about it? Just sit somewhere and enjoy the Self. What did teaching others and helping the world signify? There were no others. Besides if he was to live in the world, as appeared to be his Karma, then, before he could do so, he had to co-ordinate this realization with the world in which he did not really believe. And this mus...

An extract from the book, A SADHU’S REMINISCENCES OF RAMANA MAHARSHI, By SADHU ARUNACHALA (Major A. W. Chadwick), ebook available here: http://www.jainlibrary.org/elib_master/jlib/007501_book_english_41/Sadhus_Reminiscences_of_Raman_Maharshi_007606_std.pdf , is given below. It is from Page 13 of the ebook. Note that in the extract, He refers to Ramana Maharishi. --- start extract --- He never preached or laid down the law, but always concentrated on turning the seeker back on himself and pointing out to him that it was entirely up to him, the Guru could only indicate and guide, for no one could give Self-realization to another. --- end extract --- [I thank the author - Sadhu Arunachala (Major Chadwick) - & publishers of above mentioned book, A SADHU’S REMINISCENCES OF RAMANA MAHARSHI, and jainlibrary.org, and have presumed that they (and their heirs) will not have any objections to me sharing the above short extract from their book on this post which is freely viewable by a...

An extract from the book, A SADHU’S REMINISCENCES OF RAMANA MAHARSHI, By SADHU ARUNACHALA (Major A. W. Chadwick), ebook available here: http://www.jainlibrary.org/elib_master/jlib/007501_book_english_41/Sadhus_Reminiscences_of_Raman_Maharshi_007606_std.pdf , is given below. It is from Page 65 of the ebook. Note that in the extract, He refers to Ramana Maharishi. --- start paragraph extract --- As regards Satsanga, since we obviously take on the colour of the company we keep, the ideal is to live with a Realized Sage; but if that is not possible, then we should choose our company in the best way we can, avoiding undesirable company. He never taught morals, and had no special abhorrence of sex. He once said in answer to a troubled disciple in my hearing, “It is better to do it than to be always thinking about it.” This reminds one of the Gita, “Thoughts are acts in fancy.” Always thinking of it is repeatedly doing it. He naturally expected Sadhus to lead a decent life and set an exa...

Last modified on 28-Mar-2017 I signed the following petition around half an hour ago or so (Now it is around 9:00 AM on 26-Mar-2017): Petitioning Goverment of India Primer Minister Narendra Modi, PM Narendra Modi please Stop Madhusudan Naidu SCAM in Muddenahalli using Sai Baba's name, https://www.change.org/p/p-m-narendra-modi-narendra-modi-stop-madhusudan-naidu-scam-and-fraud-in-muddenahalli-using-sai-baba-s-name I also made the following comment on the petition: I support a key part of this petition to Hon'ble PM of India, Shri Narendra Modi, captured in these words of it, "After release from the police these individuals spoke the untruth and started their activities that the medium is speaking through Mr. Madhusudhan Naidu. You may be fully aware that Sathya Sai Baba in many of His discourses clearly denied that He would use any medium or subtle form to talk to His devotees on His behalf." My view is that Madhusudan Naidu is misguiding thousands of Sathy...

Last updated on 20th Nov. 2018 The magnetically attractive and benign power of Shiva-Shakti Swarupa, Kali Yuga Avatar, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is displayed so well in the pic below. Something would overpower one's being and brain and one would want to rush towards the physical form Sathya Sai! The rush would be just instinctual! Above pic: Swami in an airplane with Indian air hostesses Pic courtesy: Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/sathyanarayana.raju.9/posts/991679490968535 . To open pic in higher resolution right-click on pic and open pic in separate tab/window.

I was sent a Twitter message a few days ago, "@RaviSaiIyer Jai Sai Ram, pls watch n if u like do pls share with all #SathyaSaiDevotees https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=RujkuIfPNRA … @YouTube", https://twitter.com/Anand_Krishna_/status/844821846931337218 I watched the video specified and found it to be very interesting as Shri Anand Krishna, founder of Anand Ashram, Indonesia, a devotee of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and a former Sathya Sai organization member, frankly gives his views on the false claim of so called subtle body and medium (so called communicator) of Muddenahalli group to the interviewer, Ms. Maya Safira. Given below is the video link and associated info. In the Name of Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Subtle Body Phenomenon (with Indonesian Subtitles/CC), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3FMZJetXE4 , 12 min. 16 secs, published March 2nd 2017 I recommend interested readers to watch the video and, if they feel like, to share it with others. Jai Sairam! Thanks t...

Shirdi Sai Satcharita, has the following words of Shirdi Sai Baba  in Chapter VI, page 32 (paper version of book): "There will never be any dearth or scarcity, regarding food and clothes, in My devotees’ homes. It is my special characteristic, that I always look to, and provide for, the welfare of those devotees, who worship Me whole-heartedly with their minds ever fixed on Me. Lord Krishna has also said the same in the Gita. Therefore, strive not much for food and clothes. If you want anything, beg of the Lord, renounce worldly honours, try to get Lord’s grace and blessings, and be honoured in His Court. Do not be deluded by worldly honour. The form of the Deity should be firmly fixed in the mind. Let all the senses and mind be ever devoted to the worship of the Lord, let there be no attraction for any other thing. Fix the mind in remembering Me always, so that it will not wander elsewhere, towards body, wealth and home. Then it will be calm, peaceful and care-free. This is th...

Given below are extracts from Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's discourse on Gokulashtami (Krishnashtami i.e. Krishna birthday), 3rd Sept. 1988, in Prasanthi Nilayam (Puttaparthi), http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume21/sss21-25.pdf . In these extracts, Bhagavan tells us about the following: * Bharatiyas worship nature - stone, Tulasi plant, Banyan tree, cows, horses, elephants, monkeys etc. - viewing nature as manifestation of the Divine. * Human birth is a result of Karma. * Three beliefs Bharatiyas have held fast to: Law of Karma; concept of Avatars, and doctrine of rebirth. * For the Divine the three categories of time - past, present and future - do not exist. * Purpose of Avatars is to teach mankind about the truth of love. Love and sacrifice make man divine. ---- start extracts of Sathya Sai discourse ---- Nature is the best teacher for man. Every object, every individual, is offering lessons of various kinds to man every moment. This truth was recognised by ...

Given below are selected portions of my part of a recent conversation with a USA based correspondent about handling trauma of losing close friends to murder in the USA. It has minimal context info. about the correspondent's parts of the conversation including some quotes from her responses. Note that the conversation has some simultaneously typed messages by the correspondent and me and so some responses of one correspondent would be to previous to immediately previous message of the other correspondent. Ravi wrote (edited): .. Also noted recent (info.) about your grief and pain due to loss of loved ones. I pray to Almighty God to shower His Grace on you and give you strength to bear your grief and pain. .. May God bless you and the American people. [I am a well wisher of the American people.] Thanks. --- [USA based Correspondent asked me whether I ever visited the USA. She mentioned her visit to India and how she liked Indian people (in general). She also wrote that she...

Last minor update: 21st Mar. 2017 Given below are extracts from Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's discourse on Guru Poorinma, 9th July 1979, in Prasanthi Nilayam (Puttaparthi), http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume14/sss14-27.pdf . They provide very high level explanations of (existential) reality. The concepts explained include Brahman (Absolute divine reality) and Maya (worldly illusory reality) as well as Ishwara, jeeva and prakriti. Note that the word 'God' given below can be a somewhat confusing translation from Swami's Telugu/Sanskrit to English. When time permits, I plan to locate the audio of the discourse, listen to it and provide clarifications if needed to 'God' translations below. Meanwhile, what is clear from the English translation given below is that Paramaathman/Brahman are the words Bhagavan uses for Absolute formless divine power also referred to as Absolute Reality. Note that Bhagavan also uses the term Sath-Chith-Ananda for Parmaathman/Br...

Last updated on 16-Jun-2022 16th Jun 2022 Update: I was passed on the link of a youtube video of the same event over email recently, which has better video quality: Sathya Sai Baba, Ravi Shankar and George Harrison,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTQ0F_i9KyM , 35 seconds, published on Oct. 11, 2021. I have given below screenshots from the new video first followed by corresponding screenshots from the old video, except for one screenshot from new video which is additional. Many thanks to the person who sent me the email with the new video link. End-16-Jun-2022 Update. Wow! I am told that I saw right that the video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gegA89rN8XA , published in Apr. 2016, shows George Harrison of the Beatles gratefully and reverentially accepting Vibhuti from Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (from 0:55 to 0:59 in the video)!!! Wow! Pandit Ravi Shankar is sitting in front of George Harrison and may have brought him to take Darshan of Swami. The video subtitles are...