Akshayaa Quarter 3 & 4 (2020)

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AKSHAYAA QUARTER 3 AKSHAYAA Swami Says CONTENT Deepavali Seva 01 By: Bro Thevarraj 02 Swami's Birthday at Parthi 03 By: Sis Rajila 05 06 Life after MCO By: Bro Rishesingar \"How do the children feel about online classes? Questions & Answers Forms of Ganesha DESIGN TEAM Parlimen Digital 08 By: Bro Naavish 10 MEMAG.COMK i/Tr tAhBiLgEaT S e l v a r e t n a m 11 Vinoshah Ravi Forms of Ganesha Padhmaysh Sasidharan By: Sis Vinoshah Thevarraj Sellayan Saiiswari Sivanesan SSE Classes in 2020 Kesheen Regunathan By: Sis Gowri

Swami Says... The nature we have around us and with us is the vesture of God. We have evidence of His Beauty, Goodness, Wisdom and Power all around us; wherever we turn our eyes. But the art of recognising Him is strange to us and so we deny Him and live on in darkness. We have all around us, in the atmosphere, the music emanating from all the Broadcasting Stations of the World, but they do not assail your ear at any time. You are not aware of any Station; but, if you have a receiver and if you tune it to the correct wavelength, you can hear the matter broadcast from any Station; if you fail to tune it correctly, you will get instead of news only nuisance! So too, the Divine is everywhere above, around, below and beside, near as well as far. For cognising it, you require not a \"Yantra\" (machine) but a \"Mantra\" (mystical formula potent with a psychological undertone). Concentration of Dhyana is the fixing of the exact location of the Station in the Band; Love is the correct tuning in; realising the Reality and the Bliss it confers is the happy clear listening! AKSHAYAA  |  1

WRITTEN BY : BRO THEVARRAJ SELLAYAN This year, in conjunction with Deepavali, several activities were organised by the service wing of our centre. Out of which was the dry ration distribution to those low- income families who were heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. About a hundred and ten families across the Klang Valley were identified for this project. The dry ration which included basic goods such as rice, sugar, flour, various types of lentils, biscuits, milk, noodles and etc. were purchased in bulk which we then repacked individually and prepared hundred over bags to be distributed. As these families were located in seven different places, the project took two days to complete. Ten devotees in total had participated in this activity. Being one of them, I enjoyed the experience of playing a small role in ensuring those families are able to sustain themselves for a couple of months and have a joyous celebration of Deepavali aptly to the significance of the festival. The other sevas that the wing organised included financial aid to the Kirtarsh Children’s Home and monetary support to two independent families with members of different abilities. AKSHAYAA  | 2

WRITTEN BY : SIS RAJILA PEETHAMBARAN UNNY Prashanti Nilayam, the residence of the Lord, is truly a Devaloka during every festival. May it be Diwali, Guru Poornima, Onam, Christmas or any festival; every inch of Prashanti Nilayam is decorated to its best. Needless to mention about Bhagawan’s Birthday Celebration, every bit of the Ashram is decorated aesthetically, vibrating the happiness of the devotees in celebrating the Avatar’s birthday. Truly a visual treat for every pilgrim. Not just the beautiful decoration, the whole week is filled with spiritual discourses by Swami and eminent leaders from different parts of the world. Musical performances by ‘A Grade’ artists, Seva activities like medical camps, Narayana Seva, Grama Seva and many more. A complete package to appease any spiritual Sadhaka. Beyond all, the beautiful and long Darshan sessions by our dear Sai, walking amidst the mammoth gathering, talking to a few, materializing Vibuthi for some, smiling at many more, throwing a glance & gestures at others; leaving behind every heart soaked with His Divine Love; pure and everlasting… Being born in a Sai family, the definition of God was Sai to me. By virtue of being a Bal Vikas student and participating in the bhajans & service activities, Sai became an integral part of my life and the most enjoyable one. Graduating to be a Sai youth, I got the most precious opportunity of my life; a chance to participate in the Sri Sathya Sai World Youth Conference held in the year 1999, 3 days before Bhagawan’s 74th birthday, with thousands of delegates from different parts of the world. I was part of the march past representing the state of Kerala and also part of the musical choir by the Sai youth. I witnessed the most spectacular site of Bhagawan riding on the chariot to the Hill View Stadium where the celebrations were held. AKSHAYAA  | 3

The 3 days World Youth Conference was studded with talks by Swami’s students and professors from Swami’s institutes. To top it all, every day in His Divine discourse, Swami emphatically reminded the youths to offer gratitude to parents & society. Swami said every youth present is a torchbearer of Sathya & Dharma (truth & righteousness). Through these discourses, Swami moulded every youth to be a responsible part of His Mission of Love. Swami has given me many opportunities to serve Him in various activities organized by the Sai Organizations enabling me to get nearer to Him in every step. The memory I cherish the most is the chance to speak in Divine presence during a Kerala Youth Conference in the year 2005, whereby I offered my love and gratitude to Swami & my parents for allowing me to lead a Sai life. I pray to Bhagawan, for long may this continue. Thank you & Jai Sai Ram AKSHAYAA  | 4

LLIIFFEE AAFFTTEERR MMCCOO WRITTEN BY : BRO RISHESINGAR RAMASAMY Pranams to my beloved Swami and Sai Ram to all. Prayers that all are in the divine grace and always blessed. MCO was a life changing event for all of us. It brought the whole world to a halt. It seemed like the roller coaster that we were in suddenly came to a halt. Overnight , we got the boon of wonderful time to go within and do some self-retrospection. There were many questions in all our minds, trying to understand the sudden harsh change and many uncertainties which laid ahead of us. Before MCO , life was ever fast moving and hectic. I was always on the go and was rushing to accomplish many goals. We spent many hours in meetings, events and traffic jams. We ate more than what we could chew. It took so much of our own “me time” and peace. My heart goes out for all those who are affected by Covid 19 pandemic and their loved ones. Personally for me , it was a great moment to stop and re-think of my priorities and what mattered most in our lives. The restrictions of many outside activities during MCO was a divine intervention for more time to be spent with family. There were more family time for prayers and meals together. It was like the whole family was put into a rocket and sent to outer space. It was just family members interaction and activities together. There was ample of time for literature reviews and to sharpen our knowledge on what matters most in our life. Life now has slowly started back on a fast mode again. However, there is a change this time. MCO and the lessons learnt is helping us to continue to focus on what matters most. The learnt emotional regulations and boundary settings for essentials, pave our daily activities. I seek Swami’s blessings to help me and family to continue what we have learnt. Thank you Swami and Jai Sai Ram. AKSHAYAA  | 5

\" How do the children feel about online classes? \" \"Q: Did you miss going to school during the lockdown? A: Not at all! Q: Did you enjoy having classes and studying online? A: Not really. It was hard to pay attention Q: How did you spend your time at home? A: I played with my guinea pig and fought with my brothers. My Appa got me some fairy books to read and I loved reading them. Q: Did you pick up a new hobby or learn a new skill while staying at home? A: I learnt to read and to sew. I sewed some flowers and rainbows. \" \"Q: Did you miss going to school during the lockdown? A: No Q: Did you enjoy having classes and studying online? A: Yes, because I didn’t have to go to school! Q: How did you spend your time at home? A: I started reading, making my own slime to play, playing with my sister and riding my bicycle. Q: Did you pick up a new hobby or learn a new skill while staying at home? A: My new hobby is gardening and my new skill is learning to use the computer. \" AKSHAYAA  |  6

\"Q: Did you miss going to school during the lockdown? A: I really missed going to school. I missed my friends and some teachers. Q: Did you enjoy having classes and studying online? A: Yes, I learnt so many new ways to study online using these technologies. It was really fun and interesting. Q: How did you spend your time at home? A: I followed a time table set by my mother. Daily I will have equal amounts study time, and play time too. I learnt to cook a little, bake cakes and cookies. Besides that, my brother and I learnt to do house chores like sweeping mopping, folding clothes and even washing the toilet. Q: Did you pick up a new hobby or learn a new skill while staying at home? \" A: I learnt to ride a bike, that was really wonderful. I also learnt how to create videos! \"Q: Did you miss going to school during the lockdown? A: Yes, I missed going to school as I missed my friends and playing football with them as well. Q: Did you enjoy having classes and studying online? A: I do enjoy having classes online. It can be boring sometimes but i still get to see my friends and do my work with them so I feel less bored. Q: How did you spend your time at home? A: I usually play football and do some drawings. However, most of the time I finish up my homework and attend tuitions as well Q: Did you pick up a new hobby or learn a new skill while staying at home? A: One hobby that I've learnt is to draw cartoon characters. I usually refer to pictures on my laptop and draw them. I enjoy it a lot as it's something new to me. AKSHAYAA  |  7

MCO Experience WRITTEN BY : BRO NAAVISH NAIR During the lockdown, almost all interaction went digital – from corporate meetings to centre bhajans. Here’s a brief sharing on what kept me occupied during the lockdown… As part of the digital interaction trend, an initiative called ‘Parlimen Digital’ was organised by Undi18 Malaysia to promote political literacy among youths and create a digital avenue for youths to voice opinions. I decided to give it a shot and submitted my application as a youth representative for the Lembah Pantai constituent. On the 20th of June 2020, I received an email saying that I got selected as the MP of Lembah Pantai for Parlimen Digital. The first thought that came to my mind was, \"Wow, they actually picked me\". Within the first 24 hours of the announcement, I was congratulated by the actual, elected MP for Lembah Pantai, YB Fahmi Fadzil. What followed was a series of meetings with several politicians, each one of them shared their views on issues related to Malaysia. While the fundamental reason for them joining politics may differ, all of them echoed the same sentiment, \"if politics differs from your own principles, you should leave politics\". AKSHAYAA  | 8

Though it was fun meeting up with them, I was far more impressed and inspired by the views and opinions of the fellow participants of Parlimen Digital. Reading thousands of messages on various issues became a daily routine. Structured Google Meet discussions ranging from education reforms to women related issues occurred almost daily. It was so overwhelming to see so many young Malaysians envisioning their versions of a better future for Malaysia! As the dust of Parlimen Digital is now settled, I think it's important for everyone to realise that politics encompasses every aspect of our lives. The access and quality of water, roads, internet, public transportation, etc. is determined by politics. That is why, it is imperative for youngsters to be politically aware. I’m grateful to have been part of this amazing experience and to have learnt so much through this opportunity. Shout out to the organisers for organising this initiative! AKSHAYAA  | 9

FORMS OF LORD GANAPATHI 1.Trimukha 2. Varada 3. Hasr 4. Heramba 5.Nritya 6. Dhundhi 9.Dvija 10. Bala 7. Yoga 8. Ekadanta 13.Taruna 14. Ekakshara 11. Vijaya 12. Shakti 15. Sankatahara AKSHAYAA  | 10

WRITTEN BY : SIS GOWRI PRABHAKARAN 2020..... What a year? SS3 started with a big change for our SSE classes (or so we thought), we had 2 sessions for classes, preschool and group 1 classes at 3:30 p.m. and groups 2 to 4 at 5:15 p.m. This change was made to accommodate the increasing number of students as well as the congestion in front of centre. Despite all the challenges, somehow, we managed the change. There were some hiccups but they were manageable. Things were going fairly smoothly till… MARCH... COVID happened... *my mind voice* “Decisions to be made!!! But What decisions??? So many uncertainties... Many questions... No answers... What to do? Dear Lord, Please guide me... \"Think only of the children\" came the answer. Health and safety, first and foremost. All physical classes came to a screeching halt... We cannot stay closed… Many discussions and feedback were received on what to do next. In the meantime, gurus were engaging with parents and children via their WhatsApp groups. Our State Education coordinator, Dr. Meenakshi, did a series of online workshops to familiarise us with all the virtual platforms that could be used. In fact, SS3 was given the opportunity to present a sample of a group 3 online class based on Bhaja Govindam verse 7. We started virtual classes in April. The idea was to learn along the way. In gurus' meetings, the main topic was how to improve our service. In the 5-year-old class, guidelines were set. The class was divided into smaller groups, so every child had an opportunity to communicate and participate. Many interactive activities were introduced to maintain the interest of the child. They could see us; but the feeling was not the same. The closeness was not the same… The approach was not the same… I was giving my best but it just wasn’t the same. In gurus’ meetings we had trainings on the different Apps out there that could be used to engage students further. Things got better with all the different Apps and technology. Children learnt to sit and focus. Most importantly, they waited patiently for their turn to talk. I am amazed. We got used to the change. No need to drive, no traffic, no need to find parking... Hmmm kind of nice. AKSHAYAA  |  11

FORMS OF LORD GANAPATHI Vertical : Diagonal : Horizontal : 1. Trimukha 1. Varada 1. Hasr 5. Heramba 2. Nritya 2. Dhundhi 3. Dvija 3. Bala 2. Yoga 6. Ekadanta 4. Taruna 4. Ekakshara 3. Vijaya 7. Shakti 4. Sankatahara A K S H A Y A A   |   1 2

“The end of Wisdom is freedom. The end of culture is perfection. The end of knowledge is love. The end of education is character.”   ― Sathya Sai Baba