Ravi S. Iyer: Spiritual

I had sent the contents of my recent post, A quick intro of Puttaparthi to non Sai devotee ex software industry colleague who is now based in USA, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1955750351308199 , over mail to a correspondent who is an elderly Indian academic. He responded by thanking me for the mail and referring to me as Prof. Iyer! Now, even in the past I had requested him to NOT refer to me as Prof. as I am NOT an academic. But I think he was using the word in a nice way to express his appreciation for my post. But my problem is that .... I think what I wrote him next expresses my views quite well. I wrote: Sairam sir! Thanks. But please, please do not refer to me as Prof., even jokingly. I have a very, very poor opinion of Indian academia and certainly do not consider Prof. to be a compliment (I actually consider it to be an insult). Please do not be offended, sir. I think while you are an Indian academic, you are a nice person. I am afraid I cannot say ...

Given below is an edited version of a message I wrote to a second half of 1980s Mumbai software company colleague and friend of mine who is now based in the USA (been there for decades, I think), in response to him saying, perhaps half jokingly, that he should take some time off and join me to experience the peaceful life that I am enjoying in Puttaparthi. Note that, as far as I know, he has not visited Puttaparthi and is not a devotee of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. You and family are very welcome to visit Puttaparthi which is a pilgrim town with many similarities to Shirdi in Maharashtra. I will be glad to be your guide :-) to show you around the ashram, the outside ashram town (which has some challenges that most semi-urban India towns face including cleanliness challenges) and the surrounding areas of rural villages which are largely peaceful and tranquil showing the marked influence on them of Sri Sathya Sai Baba's life and teachings, including the extraordinary service to...

This is copy-pasted on 15-Aug-2017 from https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2017/08/usa-president-trump-unequivocally.html . President Trump: "Racism is evil..." (C-SPAN),  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJZQ8TfXb4Y , published Aug. 14th 2017 Mr. Trump says around 1:00 in the video: But based on the events that took place over the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, I would like to provide the nation with an update on the ongoing federal response to the horrific attack and violence that was witnessed by everyone. I just met with FBI director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The Department of Justice has opened a Civil Rights investigation into the deadly car attack that killed one innocent American and wounded 20 others. To anyone who acted criminally in this weekend's racist violence - you will be held fully accountable. Justice will be delivered. As I said on Saturday, we condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of ha...

Outgoing Vice-President Hamid Ansari's warning to Centre: Insecurity among Muslims,  http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/vice-president-hamid-ansari-rajya-sabha-pm-narendra-modi/1/1022803.html , dated Aug. 10th 2017 Ravi: I think the outgoing Hon'ble vice-president of India, Shri Hamid Ansari's views must be carefully considered by PM Narendra Modi's govt. Note that Ansari sahab is a Muslim. I hold the view that Hindus (including me), the majority in India today, should go the extra mile to create an ambiance where minorities like Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains etc. and also those of no religion/no faith, feel that India is their country as much as it is of Hindus, and feel that they are being treated with dignity and respect.

Here's the USA Embassy India Facebook video link: https://www.facebook.com/India.usembassy/videos/1407413826041309/ , around 1 min, published on 7th Aug. 2017. It has the following text with it: "आप सभी को रक्षाबंधन की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं। Happy #Rakhi to all!" Given below are two screenshots from the above video. Ravi: Here's the comment I put up on the video (and in my Facebook share of the video): Awesome! Thanks a ton, USA Embassy India, for this post showing the appreciation and adoption of the wonderful function of Hindu Raksha Bandhan, the bond of LOVE AND DUTY between sister and brother, by some young USA friends. Great video, Lincoln and Cristina! Happy Raksha Bandhan to both of you. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raksha_Bandhan , "The festival celebrates the love and duty between brothers and sisters. It is also popularly used to celebrate any brother-sister type of relationship between men and women who may or may not be biologically...

[This post is copy-pasted on 6th Aug. 2017 from  https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2017/08/venkaiah-naidu-is-elected-as-vice.html .] Venkaiah Naidu elected as Vice President, says now I am a non-party man,  http://indianexpress.com/article/india/venkaiah-naidu-elected-as-vice-president-says-now-i-am-a-non-party-man-4784361/ , 6th Aug. 2017. Ravi: Given below are contents of my Facebook posts related to this subject. From  https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1949396425276925 : Venkaiah Naidu is elected as Vice-President of India Congratulations and best wishes to, and prayers for, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu Garu for a very successful term as Vice-President of India. Here is PM Narendra Modi's post congratulating Venkaiah Naidu:  https://www.facebook.com/narendramodi/photos/a.10150164299700165.421791.177526890164/10159213805760165/ Given below is a pic of Shri Venkaiah Naidu offering obeisance at Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Mahasamadhi in Prasant...

Dear Bharat Ratna Shri Sachin Tendulkar, Sairam sir! I saw an invitation card of an event today, 3rd Aug. 2017, at Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani International Centre for Child Heart Care & Research in Baghola, Dist. Palwal, Haryana, scheduled at 4 PM, where you are going to launch an effort to help detect and cure heart diseases in children for free. I appreciate the wonderful service to society objective of this effort and wish the concerned people all the best. However, I do have a great concern about the possible presence at the event of Shri Madhusudan Rao Naidu, an alumnus of the Sai university (Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning), who has trapped thousands of devotees of our beloved and revered Lord, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, in India and around the world with his FALSE CLAIM of being a so called communicator of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Over the past few months, the FALSE CLAIM has progressed even further to saying that Bhagavan enters the body of Madhusu...