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[Cover Feature]

Krishna's life and

message

Krishna, the charioteer of our

lives, the cowherd of our destiny

and the flutist of our hearts.

This month’s issue takes a peek

at the significance of Krishna

through a discourse by Swami |

pg 6

Sharing And Inspiring

Pg 15

Volume 1 | August 2009

Your Monthly Dose of Sai Ambrosia

Amrita is a monthly E-Newsletter published by the Sathya Sai Baba Centre of Seremban.

For suggestions, queries & contributions in the form of articles please email us at:

saiambrosia@gmail.com

Please consider the environment before printing this E-Newsletter.

Satwic Corner How to make a Vege Burger?

Pg 24

Page 3 of 26

Page 4 of 26

How it all Began..

“We seriously need to get a Newsletter for our centre bro” Bala said as he munched on his ice cream.

The both of us were sitting in his car after a good session at the cyber café. I munched on mine and sat pondering on his

idea. “What do we include in the magazine?” I asked, half munching on my ice cream and half talking at the same time.

“Music, bhajans, stories, articles, discourses…” he was going on and on.

I was lost in thought. “No bro, we need to create something different.”

There was a long silence and then I broke it. “We need to create a magazine that inspires people. A magazine by the

centre, but not for the centre. But for everybody who lacks hope, people who lack inspiration, people in need of

motivation. But first, we need to ask Uncle Karuman (our centre chairman) on what he thinks about it.”

That night, after I reached home, I checked my emails before I went to bed. And there it was, an email from the centre’s

Chairman, Uncle Karuman. His email sounded such;

“Sai Ram,

Sukhbir, is it is possible for you to come up with the Sai Bulletin for SSBC Seremban. Give it a try.

You are the right person for it.

Please think about it.

Regards

A.K.Karuman”

Page 5 of 26

And the best part was, the email came on the very same day Bala and me discussed about the newsletter. We didn’t call

nor smsed nor emailed Uncle yet and yet somehow, Swami works in mysterious ways.

Foundation of the Newsletter

The next day, as I was sitting in the bus on the way to work, I opened my notebook and listed down the objectives of the

E-Newsletter. Here they are as listed in the notebook:

1. To inspire.

2. To motivate.

3. To give hope & to make people believe that there is a bright side to life.

Bala and me even came up with a name for the Newsletter. Amrita, which means “that which is immortal” in Sanskrit.

Why so?

To us, immortality can only be achieved through knowledge. Once there’s knowledge and that knowledge is

implemented and shared, one merges with the Divine. Isn’t that a form of immortality as well?

Amrita, is often referred to as the nectar of immortality. Ambrosia. The logo of the bird that represents the “R” on our

magazine cover is the representation of the phoenix.

A bird, that represents immortality. A bird that represents the spirit of determination. A creature, that rises from the

ashes, and gives hope and inspiration to many.

A creature that tries again and again and again. It never gives up. The phoenix. It’s the best logo for our magazine. The

spirit of not giving up to reach and achieve the goal of immortality.

Here’s thanking Swami, for giving us the inspiration and motivation to kick start Volume 1 of Amrita. We hope, that this

magazine inspires you and also, helps you achieve the goal of immortality. Please, do send in to us your feedbacks and

contributions in form of articles. You can reach us at saiambrosia@gmail.com

Love & Warmth,

The Editorial Team.

Page 6 of 26

Krishna's life

and message Sweeter than sugar,

Tastier than curds,

Extremely sweeter than honey,

Is the chanting of the Divine

Name.

Recite, oh mind, the Nectarine

Name

Of Shri Krishna for ever.

A Divine Discourse by Swami

Page 7 of 26

“EMBODIMENTS of Love!

It is easy to criticize or belittle the leelas or

infinite potencies of God.

But it is very difficult to comprehend the

truth about the Divine. The omnipresent

Divine is present both in Truth and untruth.

He is present both in Dharma (righteousness)

and Adharma (unrighteousness). He is

present in good and evil. With regard to such

an all-pervading Divine, how can anyone

determine what is good and what is bad?

From the earliest times men have been

proclaiming what is Divine. That the Divine

has a form and possesses innumerable

auspicious qualities was declared from their

experiences.

The truth of this phenomenon cannot be

denied by anyone at any time or place,

whether he is a Vedhaanthin or a scientist,

an engineer or a man of the world. While

this has enabled people to describe the

Divine, it has not served to demonstrate

God. But they were able to indicate the

means by which one can experience God.

Experiencing the power of

the Divine

A distant star like the Dhruva nakshathra

(Pole Star) can be pointed to some one by

reference to some nearby physical object

like a tree. Likewise the Vedhas and

Scriptures, while not demonstrating the

Divine, have helped to indicate the path

leading to the realisation of the Divine.

The spectacle of a dense forest confers

delight. The sight of all tall mountain excites

wonder.

Seeing the torrent in a river one rejoices. All

these are evidences of the power of the

Divine.

The stars shine. The planets revolve. The sun

blazes forth. The wind blows. All these are

signs of the Divine at work. When you see

the spark of a fire, you can infer the nature

of fire. If you know the nature of a drop of

water, you can understand the nature of

Ganga. Likewise, if you understand the

nature of the atom, you can understand the

nature of the entire cosmos.

Recognising this truth, the Upanishaths

declared: "The Divine is subtler than the

atom and vaster than the vastest."

The human is indeed a manifestation of the

Divine with numerous potencies. It is the

Divine that shines effulgently in every human

being. But, because of his attachment to the

body, he is unable to develop attachment to

the Aathma (Spirit).

Recognising the omnipresence of the Divine

in all things, the quest for Truth should be

undertaken. What is the Truth? Where is it?

How to search for that which is everywhere?

A distinction must be made between an

apparent fact and the unchanging Reality. In

daily life the sun appears to "rise" and "set"

everyday, but in reality these apparent

phenomena are due to the

Page 8 of 26

movement of the earth round itself and

round the sun. Likewise what is apparently

true about you, as is inferred from external

observation, is not the real you. It is the

effulgent Divine within you.

The spiritual quest involves the churning of

the heart by meditation. The qualities like

compassion emerge from the heart. The

human heart, which should be an ocean of

milk, has been turned into an ocean of brine

now infested with creatures like hatred, lust

and greed.

Krishna's leelas

The childhood episodes relating to Krishna

have an esoteric meaning. For instance,

when his mother, Yashodha, chided Krishna

for eating mud (as alleged by Balaraama),

Krishna replied:

"Mother am I a child, or a silly brat or a crazy

fool to eat mud?" In this way Krishna, even

though he was a child, was affirming His

divinity indirectly. The Divine teaches

profound lessons to mankind in this indirect

"The Divine is subtler

than the atom and

vaster than the vastest."

manner. God's actions should be understood

not by the external events but by their inner

meaning. Moreover, many changes in the

ordinary ways of living are necessary to

understand the ways of God. Aadhi Shankara

indicated in the Bhaja Govindam song how

even a brief experience of the Divine by a

devotee fills him with ecstasy.

This bliss can be got only through the

Aathma. The experiences of the gopikas and

gopaalas of Brindhaavan during Krishna's

early years at Gokulam have been

misunderstood and misinterpreted. Krishna

was in the village for five years only. It is

absurd to suggest that a fiveyear child

behaved in an objectionable manner. After

going to Mathura Krishna did not return to

Repalle.

Page 9 of 26

Awareness of the Divine will

confer bliss

To ascribe anything improper to the pure

and Divine life of Krishna is sheer blasphemy.

The true nature of the Divine has to be fully

understood. Divinity is the all-pervading

Cosmic Consciousness present in all. The

nature of this consciousness should be

understood. It is chith, which illumines every

object in creation. Chith illumines what

exists and thereby makes it cognisable.

Existence is sath. Cognisability is chith. The

combination of sath and chith confers

thrupthi (satisfaction derived from enjoying

the object). This Aanandha is thus the very

nature of every being. The Divine pervades

everything inside and outside. Awareness of

the Divine will confer bliss. But few are able

to realise this.

Once, an individual, unable to bear the

difficulties in his family, left hearth and

home. Later, after earning some money he

set out to return to his house. A young son,

who was in the house when the father left,

was so grief-stricken over the father's

absence that he died after sometime.

Before reaching his village, he took shelter in

a choultry during a storm. There he had a

dream in which he saw himself as a king in a

palace living with six princely sons. He was

enjoying the dream. A peal of thunder woke

him up. He wondered what had happened to

all the beautiful things he had been enjoying

so far. He realised that it was all a dream.

There was no trace of the six sons.

The reality in both dream

and waking states

He reached his home in the morning. On

seeing the husband, the wife broke into

tears. On the one hand she was happy over

the husband's return. On the other, she was

filled with sorrow over the passing of her

son. The father asked her: "Where is our

son?" She replied that he passed away,

unable to bear the separation from the

father. The man was stupefied. He did not

feel sad or happy. He stood transfixed like a

statue. The wife asked: "How is it you are not

moved by the loss of the son whom you

loved so much? What is the reason?"

He then related to his wife the remarkable

dream he had experienced the previous

night. In that dream his six sons had died.

"Am I to grieve over the loss of those six sons

or over the loss of this one son?. For whose

sake should I weep? They were my children

in the dream state. This son was my child in

the waking state. What was present in both

the state is the reality. All other things are

transient." This realisation came to him.

If people today wish to achieve spiritual bliss,

they have to follow three principles: First,

they must know what has to be known.

Second, they must give up what has to be

renounced. Third, they must reach the goal

that has to be attained. By observing these

three, bliss can be realised.

What is it that has to be known? What is this

world? How long will I live? We see many

passing away. Coming and going are

continually happening. When the transient

nature of the physical world is understood,

bliss will be realised.

Page 10 of 26

Next, what is it that you have to give up? The

delusion under which what is unreal is

considered real and what is real is treated as

unreal. People consider that they are in the

grip of Maaya and that they are caught up in

misery. Misery has no limbs to hold you. It is

you who are hugging misery. This is due to

your ignorance. When you get rid of this

ignorance you will experience bliss.

We have to go back to our

source

What is the goal you have to reach? You

have to go back to the source from which

you came.

You have come from the Aathma and you

have to return to the Aathma. This is what

the Upanishaths sought to convey when they

declared: "Asatho maa sadhgarnaya" (Lead

me from the unreal to the Real). Where

there is truth, untruth exists as its shadow.

"Thamaso maa jyothirgamaya" (Lead me

from darkness to light). What is darkness and

what is light? Light alone exists. Darkness is

only the absence of light. Discovering the

light leads to the elimination of darkness.

"Mrithyor-maa Amritham gamaya" (Lead me

from death to Immortality). Birth and death

are incidental to the body alone. Your Self

has neither birth nor death. What is born

(the body) dies.

Death relates to the body and not to the

Aathma. The Aathma is eternal. It is the

truth. You have to acquire this awareness to

experience lasting bliss. To experience

permanent bliss one has to develop firm

faith in God.

The distinction between

Krishna and Raama

Today we celebrate the birthday of Krishna.

Where was he born? In a prison. What were

his possessions? Nothing. Born in a prison,

he was taken to the house of Nandha and

then he went to Mathura. He owned

nothing. But he became the greatest figure

in the world. What does this show? Worldly

possessions are not the secret of greatness.

Krishna's greatness consisted in his

permanent state of Aanandha (bliss).

If you recognise the distinction, between

Krishna and Raama, you will appreciate

better the nature of Krishna. Krishna always

smiled at the outset and carried out his task

later. For Raama, the deed came first and

Page 11 of 26

then the smile. Krishna made women cry.

Raama wept for the sake of women. Raama

went into the battle only after-having a

strong cause for it. Krishna first provoked the

conflict and then determined its outcome.

The Krishna principle revels in delight. The

Raama principle is based on the concept of

baadhyatha (obligation).

The Raamaayana is intended to promote the

reign of Truth and Righteousness on earth.

The Krishna Avathaar was intended to give a

perennial message to the world. He sought

nothing for himself. He kept nothing for

himself. He gave away everything to the

people. He slayed his maternal uncle, Kamsa.

He installed on the throne Kamsa's: father

Ugrasena. He did not covet the Kingdom. He

befriended the Paandavas, defeated the

Kauravas and crowned Dharmaja as the

emperor. He did not make himself king. He

was a king without a crown. He was the king

of kings. He had no kingdom of his own. But

he ruled over the hearts of the millions. It is

this profound truth that is proclaimed by the

Krishna-thathva (Krishna principle).

If you enquire deeply, you will find that

every Avathaar has incarnated to convey a

special message and carry out a particular

mission.

Krishna's divine power

The gopikas used to complain to Yashodha

about Krishna's pranks. But whatever Krishna

said in fun or did as a prank was based on

truth. Krishna never indulged in untruth even

by way of a joke. But those who could not

understand the inner meaning of His

statements used to accuse him of lying. This

kind of misunderstanding has been a disease

in all yugas (ages).

When a gopika complained to Yashodha that

Krishna had entered the house of a cowherd

at night and played some mischief, Krishna

pleaded before his mother how he could

have gone out anywhere when he was

sleeping beside her. The truth was that

Krishna was in both places because of His

Divine power. Krishna displayed any number

of such baffling miracles.

(Bhagavaan sang a series of songs about the

complaints of the gopikas to Yashodha

against Krishna). Against each complaint

Krishna had a convincing alibi. Indirectly

Krishna was revealing His divinity. Krishna

explained to His mother the ways of the

Divine in a way she could understand.

Krishna used to visit the houses of the

cowherds and drink curds and milk. The

symbolic meaning of this action is Krishna's

preference for sathva, represented by the

pure white curds and milk.

Krishna explained to Yashodha the reason

why he preferred the butter in their homes

to the butter offered by Yashodha. The

hearts of the gopikas were pure and filled

with selfless devotion to Krishna. Their

devotion was superior to the maternal

affection of Yashodha, which bore a taint of

selfishness. Krishna told Yashodha: "I am

attracted to the hearts of those who are

pure and selfless."

Page 12 of 26

Follow the footsteps of the

Lord

Krishna had always eluded the gopikas after

playing his mischief. But once, out of

compassion for them, he wanted to provide

a clue by which they could trace him. One

day they all lay in wait round their houses to

catch Krishna. Krishna went into a house

stealthily, broke a pot of milk and quietly hid

himself. The gopikas found that he had

broken the pot and tried to trace him. The

milk white steps which he had left revealed

to them his hide-out. Then, Krishna revealed

to them the spiritual truth that if they cling

to the feet of the Lord they realise Him.

"Follow my footsteps and you shall find me,"

Krishna told the gopikas.

In the Bhaagavatham, the lessons you learn

are according to the state of your mind. To

understand the glories of the Lord as related

in the Bhaagavatham, you have to enjoy the

leelas (frolics) of Krishna and realise their

inner meaning. For instance, the real

meaning of the story about Krishna taking

away the clothes of the gopikas while they

were bathing is that to realize the Lord they

have to abandon the attachment to the

body, which is the vesture of the Spirit.

These stories should not be treated in a spirit

of levity or profanity.

Krishna dedicated the flute

to delight Raadha

In the case of Raadha, Krishna churned her

heart and gave here the nectar of Divine

bliss.

Raadha had no attachment to any of her kith

and kin. (Svaami sang sweetly a song of

Raadha expressing her grief over separation

from Him). Krishna appeared before Raadha

before she gave up her life and blessed her.

God will give anything for the devotee

including Himself. No one can equal Him in

the sacrifice He will make for the sake of the

devotees. Krishna asked Raadha what she

wanted at the last moment of her life.

Raadha said: "I don't want anything except

to listen to the music of your flute once

Page 13 of 26

before I pass on." "Sing, Oh Krishna, speak to

me to fill my heart with bliss," sang Raadha.

"Distill the essence of the Vedhas and make

it flow into the eternal music of your flute,

Oh Krishna." Krishna took out His flute and

played on it and when Raadha closed her

eyes, He threw it away. He never touched it

again. He dedicated the flute to give delight

to Raadha.

Thus, all the mysteries of Krishna served to

relieve the distress of the devotees. Krishna

used all His powers to serve the devotees.

When the purport of the Bhaagavatha

stories is properly understood, one can

realise the pussiance of the Lord.

In the life of Meerabai, for instance, when

the Raana's sister gave to Meera a cup of

milk containing poison, Meera drank it as an

offering to Krishna. The result was Krishna

absorbed the poison and left the sweet milk

alone for Meera.

By making an offering of all that you eat to

God before taking it, the food gets purified

and sanctified.

The gopikas were illiterate and totally

innocent. But their love for Krishna was

unalloyed and exclusive. Even while engaged

in their daily activities, their thoughts were

centred on Krishna.

Hence they experienced indescribable joy.

Proclaim the message of

unity

Devotees should cultivate unity,

transcending all barriers of caste, creed and

nationality. (Svaami then related the story of

Suguna who was oblivious to her hand

getting burnt because she saw the figure of

Krishna in the flame of a lamp. Svaami sang a

song expressing the delight of the gopikas on

Page 14 of 26

“Develop Prema (Love) towards the

Lord, the Parama-Prema (Highest

Love) of which He is the embodiment.

Never give room for doubts and

hesitations, for questions, to test the

Lord's Prema.”

seeing Suguna in the state of Divine

forgetfulness).

Krishna's mystery and miracles are beyond

words. He was all things to all people. He is

the indweller in the heart of everyone. There

is no room for religious differences. Students

should resolve themselves to restore the

pristine glory of Bhaarath by leading ideal

lives. Proclaim the message of unity to the

whole world.

Before concluding My discourse, I would

make an announcement to the students. In

view of the ever-growing number of

devotees coming to Prashaanthi Nilayam

Svaami is not in a position to devote

individual attention to students. Those who

wish to get married and settle down in life,

might happily do so and come to Bhagavaan

for His blessings. Svaami will not perform any

marriages in the Nilayam. But the Kalyana

Mandapam can be used for marriages if they

desired.

Svaami will perform, however, mass

marriages and mass Upanayanams. Svaami's

grace and love will be available to you

wherever you may be. You may get married,

lead a worldly life as householders and serve

the nation.

Today is Gokulaashtami, the day celebrated

as Krishna's birthday. But it is not this

celebrationthat is important. What is

important is the adherence to Krishna's

teachings. Krishna is notdifferent from His

teachings. The Geetha is Krishna and Krishna

is Geetha. |

Discourse in the Sai Kulwant Mandap on 4-

9-1996.

Page 15 of 26

Before I met you,

I used to dream of you,

Like deserts dreaming of the rain,

It felt like a bane.

When I met you,

Dreams were turned into reality by

you,

Like a butterfly emerging from a

cocoon,

It was definitely a boon.

Being with you,

Tasting heaven’s every colour and

hue,

God must surely have smiled on me,

For being with you is where I want to

be.

Sharing And Inspiring

Wish to contribute as well? Email to us at saiambrosia@gmail.com

Page 16 of 26

Wealth against

Spiritual Grace

by V. Vijendran

Wealth either in form of material/money is

the root of all evil! So, where it can stand-

still against Spiritual Grace!!!

Money come and goes…..but Spiritual Grace

if one is fortunate to get is deeply embedded

into one’s mind, thoughts and deeds.

Whereby, morality comes into play, paving

the path for Spiritual attainments.

How to obtain Spiritual Grace……Swami says

“ the minimum qualifications for Grace is the

Surrender of EGO.”. He further adds,

“Share your joy, your wealth and your

knowledge with others less fortunate. That is

the surest means of winning Divine Grace.

More than listening to a hundred lectures or

delivering them to others, offering one act as

genuine service attracts the Grace of God.

We should nor aspire for acclaim and praise

from those around us, but do service only to

secure the Grace of God and not for any

other reward from anyone”.

When you talk of wealth (material/money)

it’s “desire that destroys devotions, anger

destroys wisdom…” but it’s totally different

with Spiritual Grace. It’s abundant with

benefits, happiness and bliss. No earthly

wealth can ever replace Spiritual Grace. your

clothes or your fancy car with you. Grace is

always a Gift from God. The gift of Faith…is a

grace from God. Grace you can take with you

when you die….as it becomes a part of life of

your immortal soul. Your soul lives forever

but not your bank accounts!

Grace comes in many forms such as love,

faith, hope, charity, patience, tolerance,

forgiveness, courage, kindness, unselfishness

to name a few. In a multi-racial/religious

country like Malaysia all these play an

important part towards nation building.

These are also the elements needed towards

character development.

Those who pray for and receive graces from

God are far wealthier than anyone with a

million bucks in the bank. There are many

who are financially wealthy but are poor in

spirit and morally bankrupt! No one can ever

take from you what God has lovingly given

you…in Spiritual rewards. THAT is your

eternal treasure!!

Spiritual Grace is the legal tender in this life

and the next. God does not take Mastercard,

Visa etc. So, one should aspire for Spiritual

Grace than material wealth. |

Page 17 of 26

Tulasi can help keep swine flu away:

(Ayurvedic experts)

Wonder herb Tulasi can not only keep the dreaded swine flu at bay but also help in

fast recovery of an afflicted person, Ayurvedic practitioners claim.

“The anti-flu property of Tulasi has been discovered by medical experts across the

world quite recently. Tulasi improves the body's overall defence mechanism

including its ability to fight viral diseases. It was successfully used in combating

Japanese Encephalitis and the same theory applies to swine flu," Dr U K Tiwari, a

herbal medicine practitioner says.

Apart from acting as a preventive medicine in case of swine flu, Tulasi can help the

patient recover faster.

"Even when a person has already contracted swine flu, Tulasi can help in speeding

up the recovery process and also help in strengthening the immune system of the

body," he claims.

"Tulasi can control swine flu and it should be taken in fresh form. Juice or paste of at

least 20-25 medium sized leaves should be consumed twice a day on an empty

stomach."

This increases the resistance of the body and, thereby, reduces the chances of

inviting swine flu,"

Bureau Report

Page 18 of 26

It was my last year in primary

school. I was finally a senior in school. I felt

good. Every senior felt good. But it also

happen to be one of our most stressful

years. It was the year of our UPSR

examination. My seniors kept telling me it

was so easy I could do it blind -folded. Well,

it was easy for them to say, they already

went through it! When I entered my class

and saw my class teacher, I was in shock! It

was a terrible feeling. My friends and I knew

who she was. She was one of the strictest

teachers in the standard. She also happened

to be head of the mathematics board. The

next teacher we met was our Bahasa

Malaysia teacher. We were even more in

shock because the seniors used to tell us

how fussy a teacher she was.

The year started off well and did not go on

quite well. I was deteriorating in my studies.

I was doing as well as I could. The worse

thing was when my sister came to collect my

report card, all the teachers started to

complain about me. I was known as the

playful girl in school. My sister was so

ashamed. I had ruined the family name. I felt

so embarrassed to show my face in school.

All my teachers had lost hope in me. I felt

very bad.

I was weak in my Bahasa Malaysia papers. I

was going for tuition but it did not help

much. One day my friend’s mum rang up my

mum and told her about a very good and

well known Bahasa Malaysia tuition teacher.

Love of a Family

Page 19 of 26

My mother was very interested. The very

next day my mother called the teacher. He

refused to give me a place as his classes

were full. My mum urged him to take me.

Luckily for me he relented. The tuition really

helped. I was still weak in my science. I did

not do well in my trials. I had really lost hope

in myself. My parents still did not lose hope.

One day at school I overheard my friend talk

about her tuition centre that was really good

. I was so excited. The minute I came home I

told my family about the tuition center. My

father agreed to send me for the tuition. The

next day I asked the girl for the number. She

claimed she did not have the number with

her but she did tell me the location of the

tuition centre. I came home and told my dad

what my friend said. That very Sunday my

sister, father and I went looking for the

tuition centre after breakfast. We finally

found it and jotted down the number.

Upon reaching home, my father called the

center. The teacher agreed to take me in

but told us that there was another 4 classes

only and that the tuition would be ending in

a month’s time. My father said that was

alright. The following Sunday my father sent

me for the class. Even though it was very

early in the morning my father still got up

and took the trouble to send me for it. Four

weeks passed in a blink of an eye.

It was time for me to sit for my UPSR. I was

very nervous that morning. My family told

me to calm down and do my best. They said

they had confidence in me. Those few words

had gotten me ready to sit for the

examination. In three days the exams were

over! I was so relieved and happy. I was still

anxious because of the results.

For a month I was free from stress. The

school had organized many activities for us. I

even felt very important when I had to play

the piano for our` graduation and excellence’

day. It was the best month of the year so far.

November approached very fast. I was

getting very agitated and worried. The

results approached even closer. My friends

and I were praying that our paper went to

Sabah and Sarawak and accidentally fell in

the sea!! Finally the day arrived.

All parents were to come to the school at 11

o’clock in the morning. My friends and I were

very worried. Soon my class teacher was

called to the office to collect our results. I

was getting even more nervous. Soon it was

11 o’clock. We were all summoned into the

hall. I saw my mum sitting with my friend’s

mum. I went and sat beside her and started

tearing. She was cool and calm. She said no

matter what I get, she and papa will accept

it. I felt a little better. I still wanted to prove

to her that I could do it.

The results were given out according to

class. We were told to line up outside the

hall and wait. If our name was called, we

were to go up the stage to collect our result

slip. If our name was not called that meant

Page 20 of 26

we did not get 5 A’s. Before I knew it was my

class’s turn. We lined up outside the hall. My

teacher told us that 5 of us in the class did

not get 5 A’s. She also mentioned the fact

that 5 very playful girls did not get all As. I

burst into tears. I was so sure it was me. My

friends kept consoling me and said not to

worry.

The first person in my class not to get 5 A’s

was my best friend Jaspreet. She was

heartbroken and she still had a smile on her

face. Soon it was the girl in front of me that

got called onto the stage. I was so afraid that

I was going to be pulled to the side. I was

wrong; I was called onto the stage. I had

indeed gotten 5 As!! I was so happy. I walked

on stage proudly and collected my slip. I

could not take it. I broke down on stage. I

cried my heart out. My mum was so proud of

me. I called my dad at once and told him. He

was so proud. There was even better news.

The reporters from ‘Didik’ newspaper came

to my school to take photographs of the top

achievers. I was so proud of myself. My

mum called my sister in England. My sister

was so proud of me.

That is a day I will never forget. Without the

support and help of my family I would never

have gotten my 5 As that I wanted so badly. I

was so proud of myself. I could proudly walk

around now. I will never forget how much

support my family gave me. I love my family

so much. I thank them so much. My parents

and sister are the best ‘friends’ I can ever

have. I gave up on myself but they did not.

Thank you mummy, papa, and akka for being

there for me. With that I shall end my story.

Thank you. Sai Ram. |

Found this

article

inspiring?

Have a similar story to

share with us?

Then write to us at:

saiambrosia@gmail.com

Page 21 of 26

Malaysia’s predicament-

Are we progressing or

degenerating?

Is there hope?

Hope By Anushka Devaser

Page 22 of 26

And yes, the queen of pessimism is back with

another bleak outlook on Malaysia’s

prospects in today’s world. This year feels

like the culmination of Malaysia’s

disappointments. Currently, we have trains

that perennially have technical glitches, no

clean air, dirty tap water, water shortages

now and then…Should we be proud that

after 52 years of independence, Malaysia has

been reduced to this? Our standard of

English has no standard and it’s sheer idiocy

to expect Malaysia to be a global competitor

in today’s world. Every crevice of the nation

looks like it has been damaged beyond

repair. Vision 20-20 is becoming further and

further away. Granted, numerically, the year

2020 is approaching rapidly, but are we truly

ready to welcome a developed Malaysia?

And here comes every human’s favourite

word used during most of his life, HOPE. Is

there truly any hope for our beloved country

Malaysia? Hope according to ancient Greek

mythology was the last evil let out by

Pandora from her box. Initially, she decided

not to let it out and walked away from her

box, but the human race was plunged in such

despair and begged her for it that she had to

return to her box to unleash this evil.

So maybe the right thing to do now, is to not

hope? Because when one does hope for a

better country with happier prospects, we

end up becoming so disappointed when

what we have hoped for does not come to

pass. Maybe that’s why when a child has

finished his exam he is told never to hope for

good results. Let the results speak for itself.

Being devastated causes us not to rise again.

Or it may take ages before we finally find the

courage within ourselves to try and try again.

I am asking us to not put all our eggs in hope

alone. Why not act first and let hope tag

along? Don’t sit and do nothing. Stop

complaining about the complacent attitude

most Malaysians have and how corruption

rears its ugly head at every possible

opportunity. Neither am I asking us to start

protests and duel to kill all in the name of

pursuing what is right. I think at this point,

an example is necessary to illustrate what I

mean…

Two weeks ago, I had volunteered to be part

of the Sai STAR Program Camp in Port

Dickson for the SPI form 5 boys. The beauty

about this program is that the program is

designed to incorporate students of every

faith and race. That was what initially lured

me to this program. During the program, the

boys were asked to give examples of how

world perceptions had labeled certain

groups of people or activities around the

world. And surprisingly a Malay boy stood up

in the audience and talked about how

HINDRAF he feels is being marginalized by

our government and are deemed a national

threat for no reason. Now this statement of

his immediately caught my attention. All is

not lost is what I thought… just when you

think the country’s racism has reached

unbelievable magnitudes of hate, sparks like

these can make one tear. Then another boy

voiced out how he felt Muslims all around

the world are branded as terrorists just

because of a handful of radicals who believe

they are fighting the west for the greater

good of Islam. Standing there and listening

to such wisdom pouring out from our very

own Malaysian form 5 students was

overwhelming. I definitely had new found

Page 23 of 26

respect for the Malay boy and for the first

time in my life, I was proud to be part of a

program that helped make a difference.

Programs that encourage children to talk

about their inner feelings, programs that

encourage inter-faith discussions, programs

that allow all races to participate is what

each and every Malaysian should condone.

“Love, Love, Love…”

Let us do our part in ensuring Malaysia’s

progress. Fight in whatever little way you can

because good will always triumph over evil

at the end of the day. Yes there is hope for a

country we so love, but hope can only arise

when we have done something about it.

Complaining about an unjust system over

lunch persistently will not help anybody. Do

not sit around and hope. I ask you first to

‘compartmentalise’ your hope for the time

being and instead get up and attempt to

make a difference! As I said earlier, let the

Results speak for itself. |

Loosen Up!

What kind of a band cannot play music?

A hair band!

What makes music on your head?

A headband!

Why did the boy it his homework?

His teacher said it was a piece of cake!

What is an invention that lets you to see through walls?

A window!

What is the king of all stationary?

The ruler!

By Vishal from Balvikas Group 3

Page 24 of 26

Satwic Corner How to Make a Vegetarian Burger?

Very easy only.

This month’s vege recipe comes from Aunty Neelam who claims she makes excellent vege

burgers.

Let’s take a look at the recipe then!

Page 25 of 26

Preparation!

66 ffrreesshh bbuurrggeerr bbuunnss

22 ttsspp bbuutttteerr

22 ttoommaattooeess,, sslliicceedd tthhiinnllyy

11 ccuuccuummbbeerr,, sslliicceedd tthhiinnllyy

11 ccaappssiiccuumm,, sslliicceedd tthhiinnllyy

11 bbuunncchh ssaallaadd lleeaavveess,, sshhrreeddddeedd

½½ ccuupp ggrraatteedd cchheeeessee (( ooppttiioonnaall ))

11 ttbbsspp ttoommaattoo ssaauuccee

½½ ttsspp cchhiillllyy ssaauuccee oorr 11 ccrruusshheedd rreedd cchhiillllii

FFoorr tthhee ppaattttiieess::

33 llaarrggee bbooiilleedd ppoottaattooeess

½½ ccuupp ppeeaass,, bbooiilleedd,, ddrraaiinneedd

11 ttsspp ttoommaattoo ssaauuccee

22 rreedd cchhiilllliieess ccrruusshheedd

½½ ttsspp vviinneeggaarr

½½ ttsspp ssuuggaarr ppoowwddeerreedd

SSaalltt ttoo ttaassttee

22ttbbsspp ooiill

MMeetthhoodd::

FFoorr tthhee ppaattttiieess:: CChhoopp ppoottaattooeess,, aadddd ppeeaass

aanndd ssmmaasshh ccooaarrsseellyy.. AAdddd aallll ootthheerr

iinnggrreeddiieennttss,, eexxcceepptt ooiill.. SShhaappee iinnttoo 66

rroouunndd ppaattttiieess.. SShhaallllooww ffrryy ttiillll ggoollddeenn

bbrroowwnn.. SSlliiccee bbuunnss iinn hhaallvveess,, aappppllyy aa lliittttllee

bbuutttteerr aanndd ccooookk aa lliittttllee oonn bbootthh ssiiddeess oonn

hhoott ggiirrddllee oorr ffllaatt ppaann..

BBeeffoorree sseerrvviinngg:: MMiixx cchhiilliieess iinn ssaauuccee,,

tthhoorroouugghhllyy.. AAdddd ssaalltt iiff rreeqquuiirreedd.. PPllaaccee

llaayyeerr ooff ssaallaadd lleeaavvee oonn lloowweerr hhaallvvee ooff

bbuunnss,, ffoollllooww wwiitthh ccuuccuummbbeerr,, ccaappsscciiccuumm

&& ttoommaattoo.. TToopp wwiitthh cchheeeessee && aa lliittttllee

ssaauuccee.. SSeerrvvee wwiitthh bbaannaannaa cchhiippss..

““FFoooodd iiss tthhee cchhiieeff ffoorrmmaattiivvee ffoorrccee.. TThhee

ssooiilleedd mmiinndd dduullllss tthhee bbrriilllliiaannccee ooff mmoorraall

eexxcceelllleennccee.. CCaann aa mmuuddddyy llaakkee rreefflleecctt

cclleeaarrllyy?? FFoooodd mmaakkeess mmaann ssttrroonngg iinn bbooddyy;;

tthhee bbooddyy iiss iinnttiimmaatteellyy ccoonnnneecctteedd wwiitthh tthhee

mmiinndd.. SSttrreennggtthh ooff tthhee mmiinndd ddeeppeennddss oonn tthhee

ssttrreennggtthh ooff tthhee bbooddyy ttoooo..MMoorraall ccoonndduucctt,,

ggoooodd hhaabbiittss,, aanndd ssppiirriittuuaall eeffffoorrtt—— aallll

ddeeppeenndd oonn tthhee qquuaalliittyy ooff ffoooodd.. DDiisseeaasseess,,

mmeennttaall wweeaakknneessss aanndd ssllaacckknneessss ------ aallll aarree

pprroodduucceedd bbyy ffaauullttyy ffoooodd..””

GGoott aann iinntteerreessttiinngg vveeggee

rreecciippee ttoo sshhaarree?? TThheenn

wwrriittee ttoo uuss aatt

ssaaiiaammbbrroossiiaa@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm

Page 26 of 26

End of Volume 1 | August 2009

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