Dear Practitioners,

The Veda Purusha Saptaha Yajna concluding on the auspicious day of Vijayadashami (this fell on 12 Oct this year) is one of the highlights of the Navaratri celebrations in Prashanti Nilayam. Raising the spiritual vibrations of the entire ashram, it is a fulfilling experience to witness and, also an opportunity to turn inwards. Swami says that yagnas are performed for the welfare of humanity but what is of greater significance is the Antar Yagna (internal sacrifice), burning of our evil tendencies like egoism, greed and envy at the sacrificial altar so that we can cultivate selfless love and engage in loving service in order to realise Divinity.

On the Vijayadasami day in 1999, Swami said, “It is the duty of each and every individual to participate in social service activities, be it in the village or city… You will be wasting your life, if you do not dedicate yourselves to the service of mankind. Body is gifted to serve the creator and the creation. Service to man is service to God. Render service to society with the feeling that God is present in one and all. …True service has twin benefits: it makes you blissful and gives happiness to others…Divine grace will flow in abundance only when you serve with the spirit of humility and equality.”…Sri Sathya Sai Baba, 16 Oct 1999, Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 32 (1999). 

I am truly humbled to be in the company of many dedicated practitioners engaged in this true service and feel privileged to announce the recent appointment of one such diligent Executive Member ¹¹⁵⁷³ of SVIRT to the Board of Governors of our Institute. We wish him all the best as he takes on the new role and greater responsibility!  

It is encouraging to note that we have had a great influx of contributions for the three books that we are working on to offer on Baba’s centenary celebrations. The editing of case histories by our team of seven members under the able leadership of our the newly appointed, industrious and always eager to learn Executive Member ¹¹⁵⁶⁸ of SVIRT is in full swing. We appreciate the contributions received so far but are still running short of the target especially for the compilation of ‘Extraordinary Experiences’ with vibrionics. We ask you all to take a stroll down memory lane and recall the wondrous experiences that I am sure each one of you must have encountered. Don’t worry if the write-up is sketchy or lacking in detail; all we ask is for interesting anecdotes with Sai Vibrionics. Send your contributions to [email protected].

I gratefully acknowledge the hard work being put in by so many practitioners in organizing and running vibro camps. In the last quarter from July to Sept, 477 camps were held at 113 venues (across 12 states of India) in which 135 practitioners served 15,218 patients. This is really wonderful progress and we commend you all for your dedication.

It is a great pleasure to witness how practitioners are connecting virtually on a regular basis using platforms like Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, etc for meetings and discussions. I would like to request all coordinators to send the outcomes of such meetings – ideas, queries, suggestions to [email protected]. While WhatsApp is a fantastic vehicle for sharing informally information like fixing a meeting date, meeting links, collecting data etc, it is not an official channel of communication recognised by SVIRT. On several occasions I have noticed that decisions taken and topics discussed in local meetings are circulated on WhatsApp to a larger audience giving the impression that this is the official voice of the Institute. Please ensure that it is not deemed as such. Any official communication from SVIRT is only sent by email. As a dynamic organisation we are actively working towards bettering our procedures for the growth and harmonious functioning of the Institute. SVIRT management is open to receiving suggestions from practitioners sent via the above admin email.

Finally, I would like to remind you all that personal health is of the greatest importance. As practitioners, we often tend to ignore our own wellbeing. We rush to make remedies for a friend or family member in need, but don’t do the same for ourselves. I admit I am guilty of the same neglect. We must prioritize our own health and enhance our wellbeing with immunity booster remedies and preventive combos for seasonal diseases going round or for diseases to which we may have a genetic predisposition.

As we enter Swami’s birthday month, let us reflect on His message: “Anyone who claims to be a Sai devotee should dedicate his life to Sai ideals. That is true devotion and real penance. That is the hallmark of humanness. It will be reflected in love, which will find expression in compassion that generates real Ananda. The greatest quality in every man is love. When love is absent, evil qualities like hatred and jealousy rear their heads. Make love the breath of your life.”…Sri Sathya Sai Baba, 23 Nov 1993, Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 26 (1993)

In the midst of Deepawali celebrations, the festival of lights, my prayer is that we all become beacons of His light and love and, immersing ourselves in His work, be worthy of His grace and blessings.

In Loving Service to Sai

Jit K Aggarwal