Sathya Sai International Organisation of Australia & …...Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha The Vedic Mantra showers veneration and homage unto the Guru’s feet. The Guru is revered as God

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Sathya Sai International Organisation of Australia & PNG Electronic Magazine October 2015

Sai News AustraliaThe source of peace and harmony is in every human being

When there is peace in the individual, there is harmony in the home

When there is peace in the home, there is

harmony in the society

When there is peace in the society, there is

harmony in the na9on

When there is peace in the na9on, there is

harmony in the world

http://www.saiaustralia.org.au

SIGNIFICANCE AND GLORY OF GURU

PURNIMA Guru means (spiritual teacher) Purnima means a full moon day. Thus Guru Purnima denotes the birth of the first guru, the first yogi, the first greatest teacher who is also called the 'most revered guru'.

The principal teaching of the Guru to his students was, if the student was willing to strive, the impediments and limitations, be they physical weaknesses or natural causes can be overcome. The Guru, after investigating these limitations posed by Nature found ways to transcend these obstacles.

The Guru eradicated the misconception that man’s abilities are limited by his birth. Students were made to realize that the limitations caused by birth, genetics or by Nature can be overcome by one’s will-power and strife. Human life is a limitless possibility.

The Golden and Silver Ages (Sathya and Tretha Yugas) saw the sprouting of hermitages where ascetics or sages imparted the knowledge of Brahman, the Self and the ways to rise above this material existence into transcendental bliss.

As the environmental conditions were conducive for the propagation of spiritual ideals, the students were led into good ways of living, into simplicity, humility and discipline.

Students were made to realise the purpose of this human birth, which is to go back to the Creator - the Lord Supreme. The ephemeral nature of this materialistic world and the danger of becoming captivated and entrapped by its transient pleasures, were instilled in students from a very young age by the great Gurus.

The Vedic Guru Mantra…

Gurur Brahma Gurur VishnuGuru Devo Maheshwarah

Gurur Saakshaat ParabrahmaTasmai Shri Gurave Namaha

The Vedic Mantra showers veneration and homage unto the Guru’s feet.

The Guru is revered as God himself. The Guru is referred to as Brahma, the first of the Trinity entrusted with Creation; as Vishnu the second of the Trinity entrusted with the preservation and protection of Creation; and as Maheswara, the last of the Trinity charged with destruction and dissolution. (Continued on page 2)

EDITORIAL

In the last issue of Sai News Australia volume 9, we focused on the Pre-world Sai Conference and the activities in the Sathya Sai International Organisation of Australia.

Once again we welcome our readers to Sai News Australia volume 10, focusing on the significance and glory of Guru Purnima, with emphasis on the aim of Sai Spiritual Education. The legacy of Sathya Sai Baba is paramount for the realisation of the significance of Guru Purnima.

The Sathya Sai Organisation is a spiritual organisation consisting of people of different faiths sharing their life experiences at different religious events, while unconsciously realising the underlying human values which are integral parts of human existence. The organisation therefore sustains a harmonious multi-faith society, as exemplified by celebrations such as ‘Guru Purnima' and ‘All Faith Music Festival- 2015’.

To create a caring society we need a core vision and spiritual wisdom adequate to face the task. But even these are not enough. What's required is for each of us to provide the necessary leadership at the required levels so as to influence and inspire those involved in the Sai Spiritual Education. So, in this volume we include our leaders’ roles and their visions.

The leaders of our organisation, the teachers and parents have a duty to plan wisely and creatively so as to awaken the attention and interest of the community. The SAI Spiritual Education should reflect our desire to create a caring, generous and compassionate society, which the system of secular education has failed to do. The articles in this magazine also emphasise the importance of selfless service in projects such as tree planting and other SAI school projects.

The media committee has embarked on many exciting plans for our future. The role we hope to play in spreading Swami’s teachings has been outlined in this issue. We would be grateful to receive inputs and suggestion from our members. Members who would like to share their ideas, stories or articles are most welcome. Our contact details can be found on the last page.

For now, we leave you to reminisce over the articles below, while you relive memories of the grand Guru Purnima Celebrations.

Lots of Sai Love, The National Media Committee



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The aim of education is not only acquisition of knowledge and wealth, not only cultivating human qualities, but attaining Divinity

(Continued from page 2)

We will understand that this description is symbolically correct

when we analyse the work which the Guru carries out. The Guru sows the seeds of virtue, of wisdom and of faith in the hearts of pupils, and he is therefore Brahma, functioning as the Creator.

After sowing the seeds, the Guru takes constant care to see that those values of virtue are not devoured by negative elements of greed, anger, jealousy and hatred. The Guru has to guide the pupil at every step, foster and encourage good habits, sound reasoning and valid emotions. The Guru is now functioning as Vishnu, the second of the Trinity.

It is also the duty of the Guru to watch every step of the pupil and warn and reprimand him when he takes a false step or develops a bad habit. The guru must be vigilant and destroy the pests of vice, sloth and unsteadiness. The Guru is now Maheswara who is in charge of destruction and dissolution.The respect, reverence, homage and humility that students had displayed before their teachers in those times, are sad to say, never to be seen again.

Today the classroom atmosphere is polluted by the teacher’s fear and suspicion, and the audacity and hostility of the students. There is no love to lubricate the relationship between the teacher and the taught.

Students today pursue various avenues of study, except the basic precious knowledge of their True Divine Nature. The lives of these students who graduate from these institutions are as barren as a sky without a moon, a heart without peace, or a nation without reverence for law.

Moral and spiritual values are lacking, discipline is missing, honesty is absent, politeness and good manners are considered as outmoded forms of behaviour, grab and not give is the rule and intolerance is held in high esteem - these are the character traits exhibited by the students of today's educational system.

A student cannot be said to be educated, if all that he has achieved is a study of hundreds of books. The light of love that emanates from the awareness of the soul and its essential Divinity must illuminate his mind and body. Education should not only deal with the body and mind, but should also relate to the soul and spirit. Unshakeable Power and Courage will be attained by the awareness of the Self. (Continued on page 3)

Three aspects of God’s Energies: Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesgwara


ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE

Contributors Page Significance and glory of Guru Purnima 1

Hari Balasingam

The Aim of Sai Spiritual Education 4

Sathya Sai Baba

Guru Purnima - 2015 5

Sai Youth Adult, NSW

All Faiths Music Festival 8

Chris Parnell

All faiths Music Festival 11

Malini Somaiya

Institute of Sathya Sai Education Ltd 12

Elbert Barelds & Prof. Roger Pakham

The Board of Governors - ISSEA Ltd. 14

Elbert Barelds 14

Roger Pakham 14

Bhavana Kaul 15

Muttucumaru Sivakumar 15

Raj Chandan Ram 16

Selvanie Naidoo 16

Khatir Nadanachandan 17

Siva Muthaly 17

Prabhu Sivabalan 18

The Vision of The Sathya Sai Schools 19

School Board of Governors

A Vision on Prospective Sathya Sai Secondary School 20

Mark Proctor

Righteous (Dharmic) Management 21

Divya Sriram

Sai Spiritual Education Teacher Training Committee 25

Ratna Ratnavadivel 25

Ritu Malhotra 27

Vidya Mohan 30

Krishnamurthie Naidoo 32

Divya Sriram 33

Sai Spiritual Education Conference - 2015 34

Krishnamurthie Naidoo

Winter Service Activities 36

Complied by Andy Raveendran

Sathya Sai Achool, The Primary Service Offerings 38

Sudan Sundaram

Journey to Destiny - Role of Media and IT 40

Sai National Media Committee, Australia

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Sathya Sai Organisation of Australia & PNG Electronic Magazine Otober 2015 Issue 10



Guru purnima, also accepted as the “full moon of the guru”, is the day when homage and reverence are showered on the great guru who facilitates that ‘Vision of Unity’ without discords

and divisions of ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ sprouting in the mind of man. Sage Vyasa was such a guru, and the Guru Purnima day is also known as ‘Vyasa Purnima’. The

Lord Sri Narayana Himself incarnated as Vyasa to collate the Vedas and teach man the path towards God.

Today, the aim of education is specifically to establish a comfortable life in this material world. Educational institutions are producing engineers, astronomers, scientists and graduates qualified in various other fields of study, with the sole purpose of attaining control of this material world.

The world is plagued today with unrest, anxiety, fear and hatred, the reason being the neglect which had kept the growing child ignorant of the disciplines which regulate the passions and emotions of man. Spiritual disciplines have to be taught concurrently with the information giving subjects of the curriculum. Only then, a balanced all round personality can bloom in every student. It is only then that the children will be equipped with the discipline to observe balance, equanimity, harmony and peace, and they will not be lured into wild adventures and barren activities. The most important task of education is the transformation of the nature of man into the divinity that he truly is.

Air which in actuality is ONE, appears as storm, tornado, cyclone and breeze, assuming various forms by changing its speed of motion. The names too differ from one form to another. The knowledge and wisdom of the fundamental unity of all creation is the great truth expounded by the gurus of our ancient scriptures.

Man has brought this planet into such a perilous situation by his insatiable crave for the study of science and strife to control mother nature. With a push of a button this whole planet can be turned into dust with the annihilation of all forms of life. It cannot be discounted that science has done a lot of good for mankind, but the misuse of science in creating weapons of mass destruction, threatens the very existence of mother Earth, and all forms of life. The resultant state of cataclysmic devastation can never be reverted by man again.

The education system should be one, that helps students to discriminate between right and wrong, that instills the fear of sin and the love of God, that nurtures the blooming of humility and reverence, that widens the horizon of one’s imagination, that encourages one to worshipfully serve the parents, and one that inspires the student to dedicate his skill and knowledge for the progress of his family, village, community and country. As scientific and technological innovations progress, humility, mutual love, compassion and forbearance

should also develop in the hearts of mankind to the same extent.

The Guru or teacher removes darkness of ignorance and fills the mind with illumination. On the Guru Purnima day the Guru is adored, worshipped, praised and propitiated. Let’s also remember and revere the Gurus who opened our eyes and minds to the wisdom of our innate divinity.

Walking the Values from dawn to dusk – hand in hand with SAI

(Constant integrated awareness)1. “Punarapi Jananam, Punarapi Maranam”, says the Gita. The cycle of continuous births and deaths into which man is entrapped in, is the result of his karma in his previous life. The date, time and place of death of a child is already determined the moment it is born. The period between birth and death must be gainfully employed, if one is to realise the purpose or goal of this life. The goal of this life is to become aware that we are not this body, mind or ego, but pure soul or part of divinity. Once this great knowledge has been understood and realised then one has to strive by sincere devotional service to find one's way back home, back to god. The only way to reach that goal is to continuously chant His name, have His form in our mind and to live by the codes of conduct set by Bhagawan: Right Conduct, Non Violence, Truth, Peace and Love. 2. Three processes that elevate one to the platform of spiritual consciousness are Karma, Jnana and Bhakthi. Karma involves the performance of rituals while Jnana has in its field speculative processes. Bhakthi, which encompasses pure devotional service to the Lord, has no tinge of philosophical or ritualistic performances. If one sticks to devotional service and is conducted by the regulative principles of character values, propounded by the great Gurus, then that is the best qualification to reach your goal in life. The mansion of Life should be erected on the solid pillars of Truth, Right Living, Inner Peace and Love. 3. “The end of education is character!” said Sathya Sai Baba. In order for character to shine, it must be built on a strong foundation of values such as Compassion, Forbearance, Love and Selfless Service.

Inculcating noble values in oneself, will help to raise him onto the stage of spiritual consciousness. Soon awareness of the self will dawn and the inseparable connection with the Creater will be realised. The time will ripen when the Lord’s form is constantly imprinted in the mind’s eye and the Sacred Name starts playing on the lips. The purpose of this birth will soon be realized.

by: Hari Balasingam


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The Aim of Sai Spiritual Education

Legacies of Sathya Sai Baba - Reflections for Guru Purnima Celebration


"Man (a human being) is endowed with knowledge, skill, balance and insight, but balance of man is upset today. The cause can be traced to the fact that man is killing knowledge instead of skilling it.

As soon as balance is lost, man's insight suffers a set-back and it develops outlooks.” - Summer Showers 1993

“Relationship and association with the people may appear natural, but it is always associated with money, position status and such other materialistic things. Love for God alone, is natural and permanent. All other forms of Love are meaningless and selfish ” - Summer Showers 1993

“True education is that which confers virtues, good intellect, devotion, duty and discipline… Today, all the five elements are polluted and consequently people are gripped in insecurity. The need of the hour for students is not mere acquisition of degrees. They should make proper use of the five elements. This is the true value-oriented education the world needs today.

Value is for education, education is for life, life is for love, love is for man, man is for spirituality, spirituality is for the world and world is for peace. So, one should travel from value to peace.

Modern education cannot be called education in its true sense. What is the use of intelligence if one lacks power of discrimination, and of what avail is knowledge if it is not sharpened into skill? True

education is that which develops love and confers well being on the fellow beings. The modern system of education has undergone many changes but no change has brought about tangible results. First of all, the mind of man should be transformed. Then the entire world will be transformed because mind forms the basis of the entire world.

All should be happy. That is possible only when human values are pracitised. There are many who give lectures on human values. He alone is a true human being who puts them into pratice. Elders should sow the seeds of human values in the tender hearts of children. They will grow into gigantic trees and give shelter to many in future. It is said, "Start early, drive slowly, reach safely." Human values should be taught to the children right from the Primary School level because they are the future leaders of the nation. Parents and teachers should strive hard to inculcate ideals in them”. - Divine Discourse, 25 September 2000, Prashanthi Nilayam

“In order to install Divinity in the heart, you have to practice human values. Manifestation of latent human values is known as 'Educare'. But today, we find only worldly education, not ‘Educare’. If a question is put, what is education? People say, it is the acquisition of knowledge. But it is not merely acquisition of knowledge; it must be in action.

What is the end of education? Character is the end of education. What is the essence of education? Concentration is the essence of education. What is the aim of education? The aim of education is not only acquisition of knowledge, not only cultivating human qualities, but attaining Divinity.

The word 'Educare' has a sacred inner meaning. That which is manifested by 'Educare' cannot be seen by the eyes, cannot be heard by the ears and cannot be felt by the mind. But all that education confers; can be seen, heard and felt. Education fosters desires and leads to rebirth, whereas 'Educare' confers immortality. There will be no rebirth. The innate divine qualities like truth, righteousness, peace, patience, forbearance and love cannot be seen by the naked eye and they lead to no birth”. - Divine Discourse, 26 September 2000, Prashanthi Nilayam

Sathya Sai Baba: - Divine Discourse

The end of Education is Character


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Guru Purnima 2015 Share Love Experience Love Be Love

Sathya&Sai&Interna,onal&Organisa,on&of&Australia&and&PNG&–&NSW&Region&East&and&West&

Swami& constantly& reminds& us& that& service& is& the& first& step& in& our& spiritual&path&C& &‘Be#of#service#to#others,#for#that#is#giving#yourself#to#Me.’&In&light&of&this& concept,& in& order& to& experience& our& highest& reality& though& Love& in&Ac,on,&celebra,ons&for&Guru&Purnima&were&conducted&differently&this&year&in&NSW.&The&GP&and&NSW&youth&coordinators&combined&forces&to&propose&a&serviceCoriented&offering&providing&opportuni,es&for&the&NSW&Sai&devotees&to&delve&into&selfless&service,&that&not&only&the&youth,&but&the&en5re#SSIO#of#NSW& (children,& youth&and&adults)&were&ac,vely& involved& in.& The& theme&of&the&Guru&Purnima&offering&was&“Share&Love,&Experience&Love,&Be&Love”&as&we& aimed& to& expand& our& hearts& to& humanity& and& see& love& grow& through&service.&&&&

Devotional Program

GP2015 Offerings Friday&31st&July,&2015&&8pm&–&9pm&

Prairiewood&High&School&

Food Drive Saturday&1st&August&2015&

Carramar&and&Western&Sydney&Food&collec,on:&un,l&31st&July&

Nursing Home Project Saturday&1st&August&

Including#weekly#rehearsal#sessions##star5ng#28th#June#2015#

Tree Planting &&

Sunday&26th&July&2015&Various&loca,ons&&across&Sydney&

Life Skills Program for migrants and refugees

July&and&August&2015&Sydney&West&Mul,cultural&Services&&

Blacktown&

We&are& incredibly&proud&of&the&hundreds&of&devotees&who&truly&became&God’s& instruments&of&Love&this&year&by&gecng&involved&in&this&year’s&GP&offering.&Swami&guided&us&every&step&of&the&way&in&this&beau,ful&offering&and&we&only&have&high&hopes& for& the& service&opportuni,es& that& the&NSW&Sai&organiza,on&have& in& store& for& the& future.&As&Guru&Purnima&2015&comes&to&a&close,&we&hope&to&remember&Baba’s&message&–&‘Service#is#a#life5me#program;#it#knows#no#rest#or#respite.#This#body#has#been#given#to#you#so#that#you#may#devote#its#strength#and#skills#to#the#service#of#brotherJman.#Serve#man#un5l#you#see#God#in#all#men;#then,#what#you#do#will#be#elevated#to#worship.’&[Sathya&Sai&Speaks.&1975.01.06]&&May&this&successful&Guru&Purnima&mark&the&beginning&of&a&life,me&of&love&and&selfless&service&amongst&us&all.&&&&


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Tree Planting for National Tree Day As# part# of# GP2015,# we# joined# thousands# of# Australians# to# work# towards# posi;ve#environmental# change# on# Na;onal# Tree# Day,# one# of# Australia's# largest# natureEcare#events.#This#project#was#a# lovely#environment# for#all#ages# to#par;cipate# in#with#kids,#youth# and# adults# working# enthusias;cally# alongside# each# other.# The# Sai# devotees#spread# across# four# loca;ons# E# Homebush,# Dundas,# Prairiewood# and# Prospect# E# to#illustrate#their#love#and#apprecia;on#for#the#beau;ful#natural#environment#that#Swami#has#blessed#us#with.###The#kids#also#enjoyed#playing#with#the#animals#and#ea;ng#the#delicious#vegetarian#BBQ#provided#at#these#sites.#Since# it#was#Na;onal#Tree#Day,#we#were#able#to# interact#and#appreciate# the# posi;ve# energy,# love# and# happiness# that# all# the# other# volunteers#exuberated.# Tens# of# thousands# of# trees# were# planted# that# day# and# we# were#exhilarated#to#be#a#part#of#this#larger#service#to#the#environment#God#has#so#graciously#created# for# us.# The# local# councils,# who#were# in# charge# # of# Na;onal# Tree# Day# were#extremely#thankful#and#hope#to#work#with#the#Sai#Organiza;on#in#future#events.###

Nursing Home Project This# year# we# harnessed# all# our# musical# abili;es# as# a# collec;ve# group# to# worship# Swami# through# elderly#residents# in# nursing# homes# across# Sydney.# Children,# youth# and# adults# commiPed# to# weekly# rehearsals#beginning# in# June,# and# in# total,# we# visited# seven# nursing# homes# as# well# as# a# mul;cultural# organisa;on#servicing#migrants#and#refugees.#It#was#clear#that#not#only#the#residents,#but#also#the#members#involved#in#the#project#(including#singers,#musicians,#sound#system#technicians#and#people#just#willing#to#be#a#part#of#an#offering#of#such#love)#cherished#the#love#and#happiness#that#was#exuded#during#these#sessions.#Some#of#the#songs# we# included# in# this# offering# were# Australian# classics# and# hits# from# yesteryear.# Volunteers# and#residents#sang#and#danced#as#we#all#enjoyed#the#music,#and#more#importantly#the#love.#It#was#a#wonderful#opportunity#not#only#to#serve#but#also#to#experience#Swami’s# love#and#presence#which#was#so#eminent# in#both#the#volunteers#and#the#residents.#


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Food Drive Another(element(to(Guru(Purnima(included(a( large(Food(Drive,(contribu8ng(to(House(of(Welcome(and(the(Tregear(community.(Food(is(a(basic(necessity(for(all(homes( and( families( and( these( two( chari8es( expressed( a( dire( need( for( food(dona8ons.(A(high( level(of(organisa8on(and( coordina8on(between(centres(and(our(food(drive(leaders(was(necessary(in(order(to(conduct(this(project(effec8vely.(Despite( far( distances( and( inconveniences,( the( majority( of( our( Sai( devotees(donated( food( towards( this( cause( and( volunteers( gathered( together( to( sort,(package( and( deliver( these( items( to( their( respec8ve( organisa8ons.( The( food(items( were( collected( over( a( period( of( two( months,( and( were( all( brought(together( during( the( devo8onal( program( marking( Guru( Purnima.( Despite( the(high(load(of(food,(all(volunteers(lovingly(worked(together(to(carry(out(the(task(successfully.(With(an(overall(2.86(tonnes(of(food((including(111(food(packages)(donated( to( these( organisa8ons,( it( was( clear( that( we( were( all( Swami’s(instruments( in( bringing( success( to( this( project.(We( have( established( a( strong(rela8onship(with(these(chari8es( in(the(past(couple(of(years(and(hope(to(see( it(strengthen(in(the(future.((

Life Skills Program “Love&is&present&equally&in&all&human&beings&as&the&one&effulgent&Divine&quality.&This&Love&may&be&expressed&in&

different&ways,&but&its&nature&is&the&same.”&&&&&&~(Sathya(Sai(Baba((Sathya(Sai(Speaks,(Vol(22)&The( Sai( Organisa8on( was( blessed( to( put( together( a( program(incorpora8ng(life(skills(workshops(and(fun(ac8vi8es(for(to(serve(recent(migrants(and( refugee(groups.(Over( the(months(of( July(and(August,( a(series(of(mini(service(projects(were(undertaken(as(part(of(the(life(skills(program.(We(structured(separate(programs(for(the(children,(youth(and(the(seniors(in(order(to(cater(for(their(differing(needs.:(•  Art$workshops$where( children( laughed(and(bounced(around(with(

our( volunteers( during( a( four( day(workshop( catered( to( expressing(emo8ons(and(aspira8ons(through(artwork.((

•  Life$ skills$ for( the( youth( –( ( our( volunteers( conducted( sessions( to(address( key( issues( important( for( young( adults,( such( as( financial(management(and(bullying.(

•  Music$ and$ games$ session$with( the( elderly,( similar( to( our( nursing(home( visits( (rehearsals( were( combined( with( the( Nursing( Home(Project(rehearsals)(

((The( results(of( these(programs(were( incredible( as( it(was(a(wonderful(opportunity( for( those(being( served( to( gain( some(valuable(knowledge(and(also(to(have(fun(through(selfWexpression.(On(the(other(hand,(the(volunteers(were(able(to(share(Swami’s(values(and(gain(insight(into(the(messages(given(to(us(by(the(Lord.((


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Unity of Faiths - Victoria

Recently, Victoria Region East and West conducted an All Faiths Musical Festival at Box Hill Town Hall. This year, the festival was attended by Mayors of three councils, local MP and former Speaker of the House Anna Burke, the Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission and the Multicultural Liaison of the Victoria Police. Sam Navarria, President of Communities' Council on Ethnic Issues (CCOEI) also attended the event. There were also speakers from the Whitehorse Interfaith Network and the Unity of Melbourne Group.

Organisations that took part in the festival include: Veda Group of Melbourne, Brahma Kumaris Australia, In2Worship Gospel Choir, Sufi Group, Sathya Sai Organisation, Sikh Group, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association of Victoria, Eckankar and the Sri Lankan Buddhist Dancers.

Music and Spiritual Identity

Many people write, sing and speak of the Sound of Silence; there is no sound and vibration in silence but there is awareness, and perhaps, in seeking the sound of silence, those people come to their own awareness of emotion, thoughts and feelings. Sometimes, they come to a higher awareness of spirit. Searching for the echoes of the sounds of

silence within those people may well be a hankering for being and awareness, and mayhap, the bliss that come with these.

I was recently listening to ABC Conversations on Radio National where a biologist, Tim Low, was interviewed about his latest book, ‘Where Song Began’. In this interview, Tim Low spoke about the scientific agreement that songbirds all over the world emerged from Australia and adapted to their new environment. Birds of song first began in Australia with the

Lyrebird, the Kookaburra, the Bell-Birds, the Bower birds and the marvellous collection of parrots that Australia is home to.

Nature, Tim Low noted, is not silent, and greets each new day with the sounds of nature, as birds and animals of all kinds greet the dawn with their distinctive songs.

Australia was never a silent place. The indigenous peoples of Australia had their clap sticks and their boomerang clap-sticks (which can be shaken together to produce a rattling sound). The indigenous peoples had their songlines, the journey of the sacred ancestors, and "sing the country", to sing and tell the stories of the creator ancestors, stories of the Seven Sisters, stories of Rainbow Serpent creating the landscapes, of great snakes making rivers, of the great mother Goolagaia, of Bunjil and Biame the creators, and of Alcheringa, the protective spirit. These were tribal songs which proclaimed their identity, their relationship to their totems, to their ancestors. Our indigenous peoples had their sacred music and sacred songs which declared their relationship with the Divine and their personal identity.

Humanity excels in music for we have traversed from the tribal creation stories of our Aboriginals to songs celebrating the glory of divinity in all its forms by St Francis of Assisi, to the splendour of Handel's Messiah. It seems that whenever we encounter another religion, our encounter begins with music and song. We may visit a Buddhist monastery where the bell clarifies our consciousness and listen to the chanting of Om Mane Padme Hum; we may visit the Benedictine Monastery and listen to the monks begin their day with the psalms in plainsong chant:

Come, ring out our joy to the LordHail the God who saves usLet us come before him giving thanksWith song, let us hail the Lord.

We may visit an ashram and hear the recitation of Chamakam, the prayer to Lord Shiva; we may visit the Gurdwara, and listen to the Gurbani intoning the slokas of the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred book of the Sikhs, and listen to Wahe Guru being chanted. Wherever we go in faith, we encounter song.

(continued on Page 9)

All Faiths Music Festival - 2015 “Names may be different, but the Almighty Providence is denoted

as Absolute and Eternal. The terminology may be different, but the concept is not. Bhagawan is referred to as Allah and prayer may be called Namaz, pundits may be known as Khajis and scholars may be hailed as mullahs. The Vedas may be in the form of the Holy Koran, but the undercurrent of energising power in all cases is

Love; Love towards all beings. The founders always had in view the Unity of all life and the progressive march of man towards Divinity.”

- Sathya Sai Baba

Chris ParnellNational Coordinator for Unity of FaithsSathya Sai International Organisation of Australia & PNG


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And it is in these songs that we remind ourselves what God has done for us, and how we are the people who chant and sing his holy Name. Our sacred songs proclaim our sacred identity.

Events like this All Faiths Music Festival coordinated by Victoria Region East and West in collaboration with Whitehorse Interfaith Network are sanctifying, for they give access to devotional activity in other religions heretofore not encountered. When I experience the Sufi Whirling Dervishes and the accompanying chant, I reflect on discipline and devotion and how concentration of my senses on that whirling raises consciousness to a new awareness of the Divine, an awareness I do not ordinarily have. I take time to reflect on this new aspect of seeking and experiencing the Divine, for we humans can never know the Divine completely, except when we search and encounter, and take the time to reflect on the sacred disciplines involved.

Exploring another - perhaps totally new or different - sacred discipline calls for contemplation and experience. It sets aside judgement, comparison, or any other kind of evaluation. This calls for humility and self-awareness, as I allow myself to experience more of the divine, like a mirror shining and reflecting light in a myriad of different forms.

We watched In2Worship, the young people with their song and dance and elements of hip-hop and rap music. I thought about youth culture with its hip-hop and rap and reflected that as we, humans, approach the Divine in music, song and body expression, we are never asked to not be ourselves; we are not asked to pull ourselves out of our environment into something else – we are simply asked to be ourselves and give expression to that divine worship that arises within us. And we listened to their songs, they have the same message: give love, tell the person next to you about Love, there is love in our world. They also experimented with chanting the Divine Name of Jesus.

Just as the whirling of the dervishes we witnessed today hinted at raising of awareness and consciousness, so also, the playing of the musical instruments allowed a resting, a peaceful presence, and consciousness may drift along with the melody from the sapta swaras (the seven great sounds) and a letting go, a lightening of the mind, a receeding awareness as the sacred tunes hint of higher awareness, higher realities. I felt a stirring of a response within, energy rising up toward the crown, hinting at how sacred devotional music may also lift us to a new awareness, a new experience of the divine, as a new sacred identity emerges within.

I return to Shepparton, my home town, where, many years ago, I was attending an Anzac Day service along with many others - perhaps 1000 people who spilled over the roads - in their keeping of the flame of sacrifice our Anzac warriors and servicemen and women. On that day, we listened to the Naval Captain, to the Ode, and observed the silence. We sang the National Anthem; we listened to more talks. Somewhere near the end of this, a very popular song promoted by one telecommunications corporation was sung, with the refrain, "I am, You Are, We Are" ... and the people present sang and proclaimed their common identity as Australian with gusto, verve and vigour. (Continued on page 10)


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On that day, as happened this day, my reflection was about how music integrates mind, body and spirit. When we sing together, we sing with one voice; we raise the song of creation, we are the choir of the Universe. Just as the indigenous Australians are with their clapsticks, chanting and dancing the song of the Creator. Song gives them a sense of place, a sense of sacred connectedness and identity, so also, our All Faiths Music Festivals reveal dimensions of the unknown that adds more to who you and I am. It addresses both ourselves and the Divine: "I am, You Are, We Are", a people with a song of the Divine in our lives.

In giving the Vote of Thanks on this occasion, I made the point that each group had shared their beliefs, their teachings and their worship with us. A sharing of worship. This was very much a sacred sharing, a sacred trust, and an opening of the heart unto the other, and recognising the other in that shared experience of worship Also highlighted was that each and every sharing of worship enlarges who I am as a person, and my journey toward the Divine is ever so much enriched by that sharing.

The challenge is to attend to presence and experience and not be disappointed if we are unable to engage in human values and the practice of values right from the very first encounter. In the journey of dialogue between adherents of religions, we must first encounter the other and both give trust and gain trust and understanding. This is love in action. This is the practice of Help Ever, Hurt Never. Then only, may we begin a mutual, respectful dialogue and explore where we meet in our everyday living and worshipful presence, day by day.

Challenges

There are many challenges facing our world at this time. There is the challenge of religious fanaticism, the challenge of ecosystem collapse, the challenge of Climate Change and the challenge of corporate greed and manipulation. There are also other challenges. The Sathya Sai Organisation is meant to be the glue that binds society together. Keep in mind that Swami tells that culture is just another name for spirituality. The challenges that we might reflect upon for the Sathya Sai Organisation in Unity of Faiths might consider:

• We may know the leaders of our local communities. (You will note the presence of leaders of municipalities, multicultural groups and ethnic groups. Such outreach is important to consider from the regional perspective).

• We may know the leaders of our local faith communities and be in regular contact with them.

• We may make effort to visit other faith communities and become familiar with their form and rituals of worship.

• We may seek to understand how the practices of faith communities build belonging, social justice, participation in society, acceptance and a sense of worth.

• We may initiate contact with faith communities and establish conversations on human values as the foundation of what makes all persons truly human.

Unity of Faiths in our organisation must be outwardly focussed, engage other faith communities, seek genuine

dialogue and understanding and promote harmony, unity and co-operation. We must not stop at one event but be in ongoing encounter with our culture, our local faith communities, the society and the nation. Where we build harmony, cooperation and understanding based on selfless love - in our local environment - this will bring change to the society, the nation, the world.


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“Let the different faiths exist, let them flourish, and let the glory of God be sung in all the languages and a variety of tunes. That should be the ideal. Respect the differences between the faiths and recognise them as valid as long as they do not extinguish the flame of unity". - Sathya Sai Baba

With the grace of our most Beloved lord, Sathya Sai Baba, another successful ‘All Faiths Music Festival’ was held on Sunday 16 August 2015. Eleven Faiths representatives expressed their faith and worship through prayer and music.

The program commenced with each faith representative lighting a candle. It was a celebration of different Faiths expressing their unity through music. Each Faith representative provided a short introduction to their offering providing insight into their faith, which highlighted the many similarities between each Faith.

The highlight was a glory of having a representative of each Faith coming together for the finale with the song – “We are one…”. During the song, a pillar was put together with each piece representing a faith - the pillar beautifully

portraying the message of Unity that "We are One…”. There were also information desks for different Faiths. This allowed everyone to interact with each other and gain further understanding of the different faiths.

Many dignitaries attended this event which, included the Mayors of Whitehorse, Andrew Munroe; Mayor of Manningham, Paul Mcleish; Ms Anna Burke, Federal MP for hisholm; Victorian Multicultural Commission Acting Chairperson, Mr Ross Alatsasand; Victoria Police Eastern Region Multicultural Liaison Unit, Ms Elizabeth Sidiropoulos; and several Councillors.

It was wonderful to have the event well attended by members of the different Faith groups and also a great pleasure working with the Whitehorse Interfaith Network and we would like to thank them for their support.

Many inspiring messages of appreciation have been received from different groups. Hence we look forward for another ‘All Faiths Music Festival next year.

All Faiths Music Festible - 2015 … Experience of: Malini Somaiya

Victoria Region of Sathya Sai International Organisation of Australia & PNG

The Pillar of Faiths


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The Institute of Sathya Sai Education Australia Ltd is now in operation

Over View of Current and Planned ISSEA Activities

The new ISSEA Board felt blessed by Swami when, after many delays, approval for the new ISSEA structure came from ASIC on Guru Poornima day! Our Swami communicates with us in mysterious ways indeed. Following a recent two day planning meeting of the Board at the new Sathya Sai High School – also the new HQ for ISSEA – the outlines of a work plan for the next year and beyond emerged. Here are the main features:

1. The ISSEA will focus on extending the learning gained about SSEHV at the Sathya Sai School to the wider Australian community. This will initially be done through teacher professional development by accrediting a number of 2 to 6 hour programmes through the NSW BOSTES system. A working group of two experienced teachers and the ISSEA director are implementing this. The aim is to have at least three units accredited and on offer over the next twelve months. We would like to invite other teachers to join this working group in order to speed up and extend this project.

2. A new website is under construction to keep all fully informed about the ISSEA, and to provide resources in SSEHV. Anyone skilled in web development is welcome to make contact to discuss how they may assist.

3. In association with the Education faculty of Western Sydney University, the ISSEA will be researching the changes that take place in the children of the Sathya Sai Primary School. The research will look at changes in children whilst being students, after graduation, and also in their subsequent lives, with a particular focus on the following areas.

A. What is meant by transformative education in children?

B. What changes have taken place in the lives of children as they go through the school that can be attributed to the EHV programme?

C. Has EHV produced desired results later in the lives of the children?

4. The ISSEA is working closely with the Sathya Sai School Board in the development of the new high school campus – indeed this site at Dungay is also the new head quarters for the ISSEA with its own designated offices. A Memorandum of Understanding has been developed between the ISSEA Board and the Sathya Sai School Board in order to meet the strict governance requirements of the school, whereby NSW Education department inspects to ensure that the Board is operating independently and according to its Constitution. Each Board now has an ‘advisor’ from the partner board to ensure harmony, transparency and synchronized development of SathyaSai Education initiatives in Australia. The ISSEA is playing the key role in ensuring SSEHV competence for all the teachers and staff of the Sathya Sai School.

5. The ISSEA is reviewing the SSEHV Certificate Course [eventually Diploma once AQF approved] to make one unit available to all devotees. This Foundation Unit on the Life and Teachings of Sathya Sai Baba will be offered in a flexible, STP-Style format at local level. The rest of the Certificate Course will also be offered more flexibly at regional level, as well as becoming more project-based and it will also allow for non-devotees to take it in the future. The full course will empower devotees to take SSEHV into the community in a wide variety of ways, and according to their interests.

(Continued on page 13)

Institute of Sathya Sai Education Australia Ltd PO Box 705, Murwillumbah NSW 2484

Following the directions of the Sathya Sai World Foundation [SSSWF] and adhering to the SSSWF guidelines for the establishment, operation and management of Institutes around the world, the Institute of Sathya Sai Education Australia [ISSEA] reincarnated on the 30th of July 2015 as a registered Australian not-for-profit public company.

The Board of Governors is very aware that the work to be embarked on, that is to take the essence of the Sai teachings to the Australian community via Sathya Sai Education in Human Values [SSEHV] initiatives, is a noble task and a great responsibility.

The ISSEA is of course building on the good work that has been undertaken for many years led by Dr Pal Dhall and Dr Tehseen Dhall and assisted by many others. Although not everyone saw the need for a new structure, we are all committed to good education, defined by Swami at one stage as follows:

“Good education is that which teaches the methods of achieving world peace; that which destroys narrow-mindedness and promotes unity, equality, and peaceful co-existence among human beings”.

Shouldering the responsibility to work towards and implement ‘good education’ in Australia in the name of Sathya Sai Baba is an enormous responsibility and can, in my view, only be achieved if we understand and act on the awareness that, ultimately, He is the doer. Confusion, misunderstanding and individual actions that the mind may not always enjoy are part of the spiritual path and required for our individual and collective learning.

The new Board of Governors of the ISSEA has started its important journey realising that its single most important responsibility is to work towards the establishment of a universal understanding of the spiritual principles underlying education, based on the teachings of Sathya Sai Baba. There are other Australian education organisations that claim to be based on human values but only this Institute carries the name Sathya Sai Baba and carries the responsibility that goes with it.

It is with this awareness that the Board of Governors has been meeting to plan and put the foundations in place to work towards a strong, transparent and properly governed organisation that will ensure the authenticity of Sathya Sai Education based on the philosophy of Sathya Sai Educare.

This means that the ISSEA’s first priority is the support and guidance to our national model school, the Sathya Sai School in Murwillumbah and Dungay. The Institute will do so in an advisory capacity as an external provider and through a SSEHV professional support role. There will of course be other priorities for the Institute, including initiating and supporting SSEHV activities in the community.

How the Institute will move forward was considered in great detail during the weekend discussions by the Board of Governors held on 5th and 6th September. The ISSEA mission, vision and strategic directions will be published in the near future as these will guide the director, Professor Roger Packham, in his planned activities.

It was a real gift from our Lord that we were able to meet and plan at the Dungay campus of the Sathya Sai School and see what a beautiful and serene environment this is - not only for the new high school but also for the operational headquarters of the Institute and for the anticipated Teacher Training facility of the Institute of Sathya Sai Education Australia.

A call for membership of the Institute is to be sent out soon and ISSEA members, as well as the members of the broader Sathya Sai International Organisation, can expect to be kept regularly informed about the activities of the Institute – stay tuned!

Albert BareldsChair of the Governing BoardInstitute of Sathya Sai Education Australia Ltd


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(Continued from page12)

The Board of governors of the Institute of Sathya Sai Education Australian Ltd. In the main hall of Sathya Sai High School, Dungay, near Murwillumbah, NSW, Australia

A draft overview of what is being developed is presented here:

The ISSEA is keen to assist in the continuation of SSEHV programmes previously developed under the leadership of Dr Dhall. We request all devotees conducting such projects to let the Director of ISSEA know what they are doing, and how the ISSEA can assist them to continue and/or further develop.

Plans are being developed to expand operations into many other areas, but these will depend in the availability of interested devotees, particularly alumni of the ISSEA and others willing to undertake SSEHV training. Areas we are developing or interested in developing include:

• Parenting programmes• Partnership schools• Community SSEHV

programmes: prisons; youth suicide; domestic violence; migrants/refugees; mental health etc.

• Taking SSEHV into business.

It is intended to keep devotees informed about the ISSEA through its website and through regular newsletters.

ROGER PACKHAMDirector, ISSEA

ALBERT BARELDS Chair of Governing Board


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Albert Barelds Chair of Governing Board, ISSEA

Being originally educated in social work and andragology, there has always been a deep curiosity as to what leads to human suffering and to find answers how it can be overcome. Albert Barelds was blessed to be brought up in the Christian faith and was drawn to Lord Jesus from an early age. It was his good fortune to be told by a Buddhist monk in Nepal in 1977 that Sri Sathya Sai Baba would be important in his life. After arriving in Australia from The Netherlands the penny dropped in 1978 about who and what Swami was and he became slowly aware to be a spiritual being having a human experience.

Having been involved with the Sathya Sai Organisation since its inception in the early eighties outside of India, it has been a great blessing for Albert to play many roles in both the Dutch and Australian Sai Organisations. Swami has guided and blessed his family in numerous ways over the years and has made him realize that at all times He is the doer!

Albert’s professional background has taken him through many operational and executive management positions in health and welfare, both in government and not-for-profit organisations in a number of different countries. At the moment he holds the [part-time] position of Executive Director of the Child & Family Welfare Association, South Australia.

The roles given to him in the Sathya Sai Organisations, have often been in organisational management such as National Secretary in the Netherlands in the late eighties and Sathya Sai Centre chair, regional chair South Australia and Deputy Central Coordinator in Australia. He was involved in SSE teacher training in Europe in the eighties and has also taught Sai Spiritual Education, groups 1, 2 and 3, in Australia and The Netherlands.

As editor and publisher of ‘Sai News Australia’, and later as Webmaster of the first Australian SSO website ‘An Ocean of Love’ in the nineties, it was his good fortune to take Swami’s transforming teachings to the wider community. Being well aware that the eternal teachings of Sai hold the answers to both individual challenges and the world’s problems, he felt blessed to coordinate the “National Walk for Values” for a number of years.

Albert feels thankful to the Lord for his recent appointment as the chair of the Board of Governors of the ‘Institute of Sathya Sai Education Australia Ltd’ as He allows him to lead a committed team of highly skilled individuals to build on the good work by Dr Pal Dhall and Dr Tehseen Dhall and many others who have laid the foundation to take Sathya Sai Human Values Education further into the Australian community.

The Board of Governors Institute of Sathya Sai Education Australia Ltd

Prior to being appointed to succeed Dr Pal Dhall as Director of ISSEA, he had been the deputy Central Coordinator of the Australian SSIO. He was appointed to this position originally in 1998, but spent a number of years as the Chair of the Central Council following a request from our Central Coordinator to develop ways to ensure the Central Council was fully functional despite the difficulties of distance in Australia. He returned to his deputy role in November 2011. He was also the deputy chair of the board of the Sathya Sai School, and Chair of the SSE Teacher Training Committee, but resigned both of these roles to focus on this new one. Roger has taught in the ISSE international diploma programme in Thailand on a number of occasions, and is a member of Dr Jumsai’s ISSE faculty.

He first encountered Sathya Sai Baba in Uganda in 1967, but at that stage thought He was only “one of those gurus who disrupts the traffic and tricks people”! His next encounter was in 1992, and an interview with Swami led to a major transformation in Roger’s life, and he has been a member of the SSIO ever since, visiting the ashram at least annually.

He is a consultant, as well as an associate professor at the Western Sydney University. He has been teaching and researching systems thinking and practice for more than thirty years. While his early work in this field was concentrated in rural environments, he has also been applying his work to the corporate sector of business and industry. His consulting interests include using systems approaches for values-based leadership development, and using a pluralist approach to systems thinking and practice, as applied to technical issues and decision-making with complex issues. He has acted as a consultant in Australia for a range of organisations, including the Australian Tax Office, Pfizer, MLC, Westpac bank, Workcover, the CSIRO and the Victorian DPI.

He holds degrees in agricultural sciences up to PhD, and a master degree in education, specialising in adult learning. Until 2003, he was Head of the UNESCO/APEID (Asia and the Pacific Program of Educational Innovation for Development) Centre, located within the Centre for Systemic Development at the Western Sydney University. He has been the leader of a number of development projects, including Technical and Vocational Education on experiential learning in China, India, Thailand, Japan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. From 1992-2003 he led a Strategic Planning/Curriculum Development Project at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India, as well as being a team member for a systems curriculum development and review for the University of Natal (South Africa) LINKS project, funded by AUSaid. He has also participated in agricultural development projects in Indonesia, The Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, India and the Solomon Islands. In 2013 he was a member of a three person team commissioned by UN-Habitat to review their ten year project on Human Values-based Water Sanitation and Hygiene Education project (HVWSHE). His current research includes a project in Rajasthan and Gujarat, India looking at issues associated with, how to participatively improve, the declining water table, such that village farmers can have improved livelihoods.

Roger Packham

Director, ISSEAB.Sc.(Hons), M.Sc. , M.Ed.(Adult

learning), Ph.D. Associate Professor, Western

Sydney University


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Bhavana Kaul Deputy Chair of Governing Board

Bhavana holds a Master’s in Developmental Psychology. Having worked as a behavioural Child Psychologist for many years she recognises the importance of human values in early childhood education in maintaining positive relationships within the family and the community.

She has worked across government and, as a consultant, across the not-for-profit sector with organisations like the Ford Foundation. Currently she holds the position of Director in a federal agency. Her expertise includes social policy and strategy development, brokering partnerships in the delivery of key social policies and integrated community development and innovation. She has held various governance roles and is currently actively involved as a board member in the activities of a not for profit organisation, to guide changing business opportunities and activities focused on areas such as customer experience, design of future service delivery models and organisational structures to support change.

Swami has always been in her life but a strong recognition of his presence emerged in her adulthood. She has been actively involved in the Sathya Sai International Organisation for many years and has been extremely fortunate to have had an opportunity to serve through various positions at the regional and national levels. Currently she also has the role of the Deputy Chair of the Central Council within the SSIO.

Muttucumaru Sivakumar Deputy Director, ISSEA

BSc (Eng) Hons, ME, PhD.Associate Professor and Discipline Leader in nvironmental Engineering, University

of Wollongong

Muttucumaru Sivakumar is currently the Deputy Director of the Institute of Sathya Sai Education Australia Ltd (ISSEA). He is also recently appointed as one of the Board of Governors of the Sathya Sai School in Murwillumbah. With the grace and blessings of Swami, Siva plans to make significant contribution to the advancement of Sathya Sai Education both in Australia and globally via the ISSEA.

Siva came to Swami’s fold in 1988 and quickly became a Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) Teacher. Since then he has held several positions within the Sathya Sai Organisation of Australia on a continuous basis till todate. He has held Education, Spiritual, Service and Study Circle Coordinator positions (1990-96 and 2007- to date) and as well as Chairperson of the Sathya Sai Centre of Wollongong 1997-98. He was the NSW Zone Education Coordinator for two years in 1999-2000 and subsequently held the position of National Education Coordinator for Australia for 6 years from 2001 to 2006. He has held many SSE-SSEHV teacher training workshops, a regular facilitator of study circles, and developed computer based teacher training resources.

Siva is also a United National Environment Program (UNEP) recognised resource expert for Asia-Pacific Young Leaders Program on Environment for Sustainability where he has been delivering on an annual basis in Shanghai the human dimension of sustainability and relating it to Sathya Sai Education in Human Values, ethics and leadership. Since 2005, he also travels to Puttaparthy annually as an Honorary Visiting Professor at Swami’s University– Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Deemed University), Prasanthi Nilayam Campus for teaching and research. He delivers lectures in Environmental Biotechnology for the 2nd Year MSc Bioscience students as well as assists PhD students in their research.

Siva is a Civil-Environmental Engineering academic at the University of Wollongong (UOW) and is a recognised international expert in water environmental engineering research. He has also significant expertise over 30 years in University teaching and learning in Australia and founded the Environmental Engineering program at UOW. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia and a Chartered Professional Engineer. He has published well over 225 technical papers and reports with 25 successful PhD completions under his supervision. He is also one of the co-founders of the Futureworld Eco-technology Centre, a not-for-profit organisation and held the position of Vice-President.


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Raj Chandan Ram is a Senior Teacher at a state school on the Gold Coast. He has completed 35 years as an educator, spanning three countries, and is currently employed on the Gold Coast. He has 17 years of experience in the secondary level (as a Head of Department–Art and a Dean of the Senior School) and 18 years at the primary level in a Senior Teacher position.

He was 16 years of age when he had the first sighting of Bhagavan Sai Baba in a picture frame. It was “love at first sight”. Within a week of his first encounter, he transformed into a vegetarian and found himself at regular Sai Baba meetings. This love has blossomed over the years and has for the last 10 years served on the International Christmas Committee of Prasanthi Nilayam.

Whilst being a Secondary Teacher in New Zealand, he was the founding member of the Howick/Pakuranga Sai Centre which met at the school Marae (Maori Meeting House). He also started the first community values classes in his art room for 6 years. He held several positions in New Zealand when he decided to migrate to Australia.

Raj chose to teach at a primary level to have a greater impact on transformational behavior change of the younger generation. He successfully implemented the Human Values programme at his school and delivered several Professional Development sessions at primary school. Dr Chris Sara, the Australian of the Year, invited Raj to deliver a workshop to the top 10 Principals of the Northern territory. Raj was the recipient of two awards voted in by parents and students in recognition of the transformational change in character as demonstrated by his students using the Human Values programme. In 2005 Raj was voted “My Favourite Teacher” Award held by the Gold Coast Bulletin. This was followed up by another prestigious nomination - The National Educators in Teaching Award.

Currently Raj serves on the Board of Governors of the Institute of Satya Sai Education Australia – for his expertise in the implementation and delivery of the Human Values programme to all educators in the State and private system. He is enthusiastic about his inclusion on the Board of the ISSEA and is looking forward to the challenges that awaits this enormous but gratifying task.

Selvanie Naidoo Member, Board of Governors

Newcastle NSWMasters in Health Science Education

Nurse Educator in Hunter New England Area Health ServiceInstitute of Sathya Sai Education Australia (ISSEA)

Diploma in Human Values, and ISSEA Trainer Sathya Sai International Organisation(SSIO)

Past National Education CoordinatorCertified SSE teacher, Certified SSE Teacher Trainer

Selvanie Naidoo’s family was introduced to Sri Sathya Sai Baba in 1973. A neighbour had screened a film about Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Swami) in her home and the key message for her was the embracing of all faiths. This was the beginning of her Journey with Divinity. Later the same year she read the book ‘Man of Miracles’ which cemented this permanent relationship between Swami and her.

In 2007 Selvanie had been deeply inspired by Swami’s words “Your Life is My Message. People will know Me by My devotees”. This prompted Selvanie to develop Online Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) Lessons over a 3 year period for Group 1 to Teen Youth (Group 4).

She also commenced an eighteen month study in 2007 in her workplace through the ISSEA. The aim of the research was to determine whether managers who incorporate Human Values into their management style are able to transform and influence the behaviour and attitude of their staff positively. The results revealed that all 18 staff had experienced some degree of transformation. for example there was greater awareness of their emotions and reactions.

In 2008 and 2009, she conducted four 2 day “Individual Transformation” workshops in the workplace also under the supervision of ISSEA. The objectives were for participants to identify the need for individual transformation in themselves, to develop self-awareness in thought, word and deed; to experience and practice the universal human values and to implement strategies aiding relaxation of the mind and body. A total of 50 participants including nursing staff from all levels, senior management and administrative staff attended these workshops.

As the Past National Education Coordinator 2013 and 2014, the focus was to strengthen the inner world of the child through Breath Control, Silent Sitting, Prayer, Repetition of the Lords Name, Singing devotional songs and more importantly for the children to develop a personal relationship with Swami. Swami’s stories and his miracles were introduced into lessons to help the child develop faith and devotion. This practice will guide the child to listen to their inner voice, so that they will follow the human values that originate from within their heart.

An SSE Teacher website was set up so that resource materials and other information could be accessed by SSE teachers. An SSE Teacher database was created nationally identifying the training undertaken by each teacher. In 2014 a SSE Teacher Training Committee was formed and SSE Teacher Training commenced in Melbourne and Sydney through the SSIO.

Selvanie feels that with Swami’s guidance she will look for more opportunities to spread Swami’s message.

Raj Chandan Ram Member, Board of Governors

Bachelor of Arts Degree; Diploma in Education; Diploma in Printmaking


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Khatir Nadanachandran Member, Board of Governors

FRCS, FRCSE, FRACS

Associate Professor (Rtd) NeurosurgeonMember of the Order of Australia (AM)

Swami by His words, deeds, physical presence, and now in the mind's eye, has been and is the inspiration and guide to all of us. Nadanachandran (Nadana) considers it a privilege and blessing to be able to participate in His mission.

Nadana has been associated with the Sai Organisation since its inception in the early 1980s in Australia and has held several positions at the centre and zone levels in Canberra. He has training as a Balvikas and/or SSE teacher and also as a teacher trainer. He has been teaching grade 3 children over 15 years in Canberra.

Now he teaches SSE weekly to his grandchildren and takes SSE lessons at the Homebush Primary School on behalf of the Hindu Council.

His interests include the scientific basis of meditation and spirituality.

He has been coordinator of the Sai Medical Unit of Australia since its inauguration in 1998 and has been Sai Medical Coordinator of Zone 3 since 2005. His work in Sri Lanka (post Tsunami), India ( Whitefield and Puttaparthi) and over fifteen years in Fiji with the local medical, nursing students and health workers, allowed him an opportunity to present in lectures and by deed the application of the five human values in the medical arena. Over 12 years he took a medical team to Fiji annually for two weeks to provide free neurosurgical services. He has been instrumental in establishing Fiji's own neurosurgical unit. He has also been involved jointly in coordination of an annual medical team visit to rural Fiji and arranging medical seminars there, since 2007.

His contributions to the local community and the international community were recognised at the Australia Day Awards 2015 with the title of “Member of the Order of Australia" (AM).

Nadana had his initial medical training in Sri Lanka, then in the UK for 5 years and then in Australia obtaining Fellowship degrees of the Royal Colleges. He has been from 1980 to 2011 a consultant neurosurgeon in Canberra. He was director of the neurosurgical unit and supervisor of training of neurosurgeons for ten years. He was also involved in training junior doctors, medical students and nurses. He has a number of publications in peer reviewed journals of Neurosurgery.

He is currently in a consulting practice in Sydney having retired from Canberra.

Siva Muthaly Member, Board of Governors

BSc (High Hons), MBA, PhDAssociate Professor of Marketing

Graduate School of Business & Law, RMIT University

Siva joined the Graduate School of Business and Law, RMIT University in 2011 as Associate Professor of Marketing. Since 1990, Siva has also held academic positions at the Swinburne University of Technology, University of Newcastle, Monash University, Kennesaw State University & Elizabethtown College – USA, Adjunct Professor at IPMI Graduate School of Business, Indonesia. Siva was head of the Marketing and International Studies Group at the Faculty of Business and Enterprise, Swinburne University of Technology from 2005 to 2008.

He was active in teaching, researching and supervising doctoral candidates (16 doctoral completions). He has also carried out various marketing research projects with Department of Primary Industries, Mercedes-Benz Australia and or Pacific, Pittsburg State University, Pilkington Australia, CPA Australia, TFG Australia, National University of Malaysia (UKM Bangi), Australia-Malaysia Business Council – Victoria, and Orica Chemicals.

In December 2014, Siva was invited to be an honorary professor at Hyderabad Business School (A Constituent of GITAM University).

In December 2014, Siva addressed business students of SSSIHL at Brindavan in a talk titled “Challenges in Sales and Marketing Profession”.

He has been an active member of the Sathya Sai Organisation of Australia from mid 1990s, and he was also the Regional Chairperson for the Victorian East Region from Nov 2009 to Nov 2011.

Finally, Siva feels and is thankful that the above achievements have all been possible by the blessings and grace of our Divine Master, Sathya Sai Baba.


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Prabhu Sivabalan Member, Board of Governors

Bachelor’s degree in Business (Accounting), with first class honours (UTS).

PhD in Accounting (UTS)Associate Professor in accounting and control systems, UTS

Business School.

Prabhu Sivabalan held the following positions in Sathya Sai International Organisation (SSIO):

• Current deputy chairperson, Zone East NSW.

• Past youth wing coordinator, Zone East NSW.

• Past youth leader, Strathfield Centre NSW

Prabhu has been an educator for the majority of his working adult life. He has seen, first hand, the transformational role of education both spiritually and secularly, and is passionate about the importance of SSE and EHV in having a foundational positive impact amongst our youth and broader society.

He has won teaching awards and written textbooks in accounting, introducing chapters on ethics in order to integrate a more values driven management focus into corporate education.

Prabhu has also been involved in the design and delivery of subjects, majors and degrees at the university level in Australia (UTS Business School) as well as the UK, in Oxford University and the London School of Economics and Political Sciences.

He has been an active member and office bearer in the Sathya Sai Organisation since 1999, and is passionate about furthering Swami’s teachings regarding the underlying unity binding our global community and the key role of education in making this happen.

The end of education is character, and the end of

knowledge is love -‐ Sathya Sai Baba, in Sathya Sai Speaks IX, Chap. 43, 219 (old edition)

Pro. Roger Packham visits Sathya Sai Primary School “A school should not be considered to be just a commonplace arrangement

designed for teaching and learning. It is the place where the consciousness is aroused and illumined, purified and strengthened, the place where the seeds of

discipline, duty and devotion are planted and fostered into fruition.”— Sathya Sai Baba

Study Circle in human values for adults in Sathya Sai Centre “A Study Circle does not mean only just reading and discussing and taking information into the head, but also putting into practice what is learnt… Knowledge about what this author says or that sage teaches is not what your Study Circle must aim to acquire. Not information, but transformation; not instruction, but construction should be the aim. Theoretical knowledge is a

burden, unless it is practiced, when it can be lightened into Wisdom, and assimilated into daily life. Knowledge that does not give harmony and wholeness to the process of living is not worth acquiring. Every activity must be rendered valid and worthwhile by its contribution to the discovery of Truth, both of the Self and of Nature”. - Sathya Sai Baba


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The Australian Sathya Sai School is being developed as a model for Education in Human Values. It is a K-6 primary school with 135 students, expanding to around 160 students in the near future. The primary school is fully registered with the NSW Board of Education. A

modern high-set Queenslander style building houses the classrooms, a library and computer room, a school hall and ancillary facilities.

Recently a property was acquired in nearby Dungay village to develop a secondary school for students from years 7-12, together with teacher training facilities for Education in Human Values. It is planned to commence with two streams of years 7 and 8 in January 2016, subject to government approval.

Most educationists acknowledge that an important part of the mission of education is to transmit the

knowledge and skill necessary to navigate through the journey of life safely, effectively, and with happiness. However, too often modern educational systems place emphasis only on the acquisition of skills

and knowledge that enable students to find a job or practise a profession.

The most distinguishing feature of the Sathya Sai educational system is its philosophy that helping students develop good character is equal in importance to fostering the development of skills that will help them to earn a good living. Education in this system is seen to be for life, not just for earning a living.

The ultimate goal of the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values Programme is to develop character by contributing towards knowledge of ourselves, to reveal a sense of the purpose of human life, and the qualities necessary to achieve the fulfilment of that purpose. In this manner, true education becomes a transformational, life-long process. Students seek answers to the perpetual and perplexing questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What must I do to obtain lasting, profound happiness? How can I achieve the highest good for myself and for the world?

Sathya Sai Schools are emerging in many countries around the world, and all are formal schools, operating within the legal, cultural, and educational frameworks of their respective countries of location. They are subject to government oversight, follow the official curriculum of local or national educational authorities, and prepare children for national examinations at appropriate academic levels. They are non-denominational, with an open-door policy of admission, and ideally are located in disadvantaged areas of cities or in rural areas, providing quality education.

In line with this, the main purpose for establishing the Australian Sathya Sai School is to both provide quality education permeated with human values and act as a model for analysis and emulation by education authorities in Australia. Funding comes from donations from members of the Australian Sathya Sai International Organisation, from community members sharing these views on the role and nature of education, and government grants. The Sathya Sai Primary School charges only a resource cost, while the secondary school will also charge a modest fee to recover resource costs when it opens. There will not be tuition fees.

The 1997 UNESCO commission headed by Jacques Delors stated its belief that "Education should contribute to every person's complete development - mind and body, intelligence, sensitivity, aesthetic appreciation and spirituality." The Commission also saw education "...as one of the principal means available to foster a deeper and a more harmonious form of human development and thereby to reduce poverty, exclusion, ignorance, oppression and war." It also pointed out that there is a growing concern for a "...more harmonious form of human development" and brought to focus the need for harmonising science with humanism, ethics with aesthetics, and material welfare with spiritual welfare in the curriculum, so that education prepares children for the challenges of life in a balanced manner in all aspects - temporally, morally, and spiritually.

The Australian Government’s Adelaide Declaration on the objectives of schooling in the 21st century also lays emphasis on this social, moral and spiritual development as much as on intellectual and physical development. (Continued on page 20)

The Vision of the Australian Sathya Sai School, Murwillumbah NSW

by: The Board of governors of the Australian Sathya Sai School

Sathya Sai Primary School and Secondary School Character Development Academic Achievement

Sathya Sai Primary School, Murwillumbah, NSW

Sathya Sai Secondary School property, Dungay, NSW


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Continued from page 19)

This renewal of emphasis on values in education needs to be an imperative, eliminating increasing religious fanaticism, violence, and fatalism that characterises much of today's society. To achieve this, the curriculum has to foster universal and eternal values that promote the unity and integration of people in a culturally plural society. More importantly, education needs to provide clear and practical processes to translate values into daily reality, both at the individual and societal level. Education needs to "Uplift minds and spirits to transcend themselves”, as eloquently espoused by the Delors Commission.

The Sathya Sai School takes up this challenging vision, placing new emphasis on social, moral, and spiritual values in the curriculum by eliciting the universal and timeless human values of love, peace, truth, right conduct and nonviolence, bringing together profound moral insights of the world's great enduring civilisations; Sathya Sai Education helps to create a universal and unchanging frame of reference, giving its students a stable sense of identity. The term spirituality has increasing mention in the national curriculum of a number of countries: seldom does it find expression in curricular substance or in teaching and learning resources. Spirituality is a process guiding one to Self-knowledge - the realisation of one's relationship and bond with the ultimate reality. Knowledge sees diversity in unity while Self-knowledge sees unity in diversity. An understanding of spirituality helps students to understand the universal and eternal human values as they originate from this ultimate reality - by whatever name people in different cultures may call it.

By combining spiritual education with secular education in an integral manner, Sathya Sai Education lays the foundation for the harmonious development of an intellect endowed with fundamental discrimination; a kind, compassionate heart with love for all, and competent hands serving selflessly.

The paramount manifestation of this integrated personality is character - the goal of Sathya Sai Education. The human values provide the foundation for character, which in turn manifests itself as unity in thought, word, and deed, in selfless service and love for all. Character alone confers the ability to exercise objectivity with a sense of personal responsibility to attain the common goals of the society. Information, knowledge, and skills gained through secular education are important tools and prerequisites for righteous action, but these become ineffective when the personality lacks character. It is Education in Human Values that the Australian Sathya Sai School practices and demonstrates.

Our school web site http://www.sathyasaischoolaust.org/ gives more information about the School.

A Vision on Prospective Sathya Sai Secondary School

An Experience of Mark Proctor

First time arriving at the future Sathya Sai Secondary School, I was awestruck by the profound peace and beauty of the place

and its surroundings. Even though it’s a bit run down at present , no doubt a bit of tender love and care will eventually transform the place into a school where students will always want to come and study. Swami’s presence was evident everywhere. This place will be another Prashanthi (Supreme Peace)! Even the whole area reminded me of the surroundings of Parthi with the distant hills, greenery, the wildlife, the many different birds singing and the sounds of the nature everywhere! Blessed are the ones who will be fortunate to be able to attend there and be involved with school in the times ahead.

With Sai LoveMark Proctor

Sathya Sai Secondary School property, Dungay (near Murrwillumbah, NSW)


http://www.sathyasaischoolaust.org/

http://www.sathyasaischoolaust.org/

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Divya Sriram National Education Coordinator

Sathya Sai International Organisation of Australia & PNG

An Alumni of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Anantapur Campus. SSE teacher for the past 10 years in Australia for Pre SSE, Groups 1,2,3 & 4. Served in positions as Centre and NSW Region East Education coordinator.

Undertaken SSIO SSE Teacher Training and ISSE –Introductory & Intermediary Courses.

A Banking & Financial Services champion by profession.

The best thing I love about our Swami (Sathya Sai Baba) is that, He develops creative solutions that are grounded in reality and have practical values. That exactly is the essence behind the five human values – this is “practical science” to act, feel and see Divinity in all creatures. These values are already present in humans and hence the term ”Human” values.

Love is far greater and more immense than anything we could have ever imagined. ”Nothing in this world has more power than Love” says Sathya Sai Baba. Love is such a simple word yet the ways and means to practice this concept is very complex as it involves the dissolution of ego and complete surrender to our Sai. This is the dilemma we all face in our lives today to some degree. Love is the undercurrent of the world and encapsulates all the other values in its fold. The righteous or the dharmic way to manage life is through Love.

How fortunate we are to be born in the same age as of our Divine Master who descended on earth to be our eternal teacher – the best teacher ever who simply practiced every word that He preached.

It is this practical spirituality that has and is inspiring me to live by it every moment and propels me to be a good example in all that I do, to be a good student to my eternal Divine Master and to be a good child of my Divine Sai Mother.

Ever since I had the darshan, sparshan and sambaashan (seeing, touching and conversing) of the Divine Master, every chapter in my life

has been etched by His divine will. I had the bountiful blessings to study at His abode, the University in Puttaparthi. The University has conferred on its alumni the courage and confidence, the knowledge and skill, to shape our careers and life by our own efforts, standing on our own feet and relying on our inner strength given by our Sai.

Spiritual beings and Human Values:

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Sathya Sai Baba tells us that these human values, as well as their practical aspect (e.g. from truth springs honesty and integrity), are inherent in all humans, and it is just a matter of drawing them out and letting them flourish.

Some distinguishing characteristics of Human values are:

1. Human values are the essence of all faiths.

2. Human values don’t follow the laws of physical science. They have an inherent dynamism that takes the human beings forward.

3. They cannot be depleted. Normally, when we spend energy our resources get drained of energy to the extent of our usage. But human values multiply as they are applied, used, expressed and acted out. They benefit both the giver and the recipient.

4. Human values have an inherent energy that gathers strength and multiplies as they are used.

5. Human values are the qualities that are embedded in each of us.

Human values are the qualities that already lie within each of us like a golden effulgence and can be drawn forth into consciousness in all our cultures through Educare.

Educare is the spiritual process of eliciting the five human values (Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non-violence) latent in every person. The Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) classes aids in educare. While education is information oriented and relates to the outside world, educare is transformation oriented and helps one to turn inward to realise the inherent Divinity.

Sathya Sai Education is a tried and tested character building educational program based upon the five universal human values of Love, Truth, Right conduct, Peace and Non-violence.

It addresses the worldwide need for effective ways to inspire and educate children, and adults in the development of good character.


Righteous (Dharmic) Management The Practical Science of “Love”


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National Education Vision:

“Our Vision is to build a Kingdom of Educare that best practices Sai ideals” This, we aim to achieve with the triangle approach or the triple partnership.

SSE Program a TRIPLE PARTNERSHIP

To fine tune all the corners of the triangle, is the task at hand for the coming years.

For Children

• To be themselves. To assist children in realising that they are “the sparks of divinity” by building a strong inner world.

“TO BE YOURSELF” in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT” - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

For Teachers

• Foremost to be a good example by “Choosing to Live Only Values Every day!” To train and equip SSE teachers with the Sai skills and knowledge.

• We want our SSE teachers to be fully equipped with Sai skills and be grounded in His ideals and teachings. As teachers we should be the reservoir of knowing and living by His life and teachings.

For Parents

• “Home is where the Heart is” – To vigorously and consistently involve and educate parents to aid in the spiritual development of the child.


Involved in their own learning

Primary character nurturers SSE program

Committed to living the human values


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Continued fro m page 22)

Sai Spiritual Education (SSE):

HISTORY:

The foundation for Bal Vikas (Sai Spiritual Education for children) was laid down by our Divine Master, Sathya Sai Baba in 1969. This Program was given by Him to provide moral education for the children in the Sai circle. In 1995, in order to emphasise the universality of the Bal Vikas Programme, it was decided to change the name Bal Vikas to Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) in countries outside of India. SSE classes are designed for children whose parents are mostly devotees of Sathya Sai Baba but it is open to all children irrespective of their faith. These classes are conducted at local Sathya Sai Centres and Groups by devotees who have been trained by the Sathya Sai Organisation. The core content relates to the five universal human values of Truth, Right action, Peace, Love, and Non Violence.

The following are the groups in SSE:

There are 9 Regions in Australia having a total of 665 SSE Students. There are 169 SSE Trained teachers of which 42 are not currently teaching. (figures as at August 2013)

An Overview :

Mahasamadhi was seen as the catalyst that brought the momentum which took SSE to the next gear in the Golden Age - the age that will see us all shift completely in the path of Divine mission.

A revamp of the National curriculum was envisaged. A dire need to bring Sathya Sai Baba to the forefront was felt nationally, this gave way for a unanimous aim to “increase the quotient of Swami” in Sai Spiritual Education classes.The classes are no longer called “Bal vikas” or Education in Human Values (EHV) or ”Values classes” it is “SSE” (Sai Spiritual Education) in Australia.

SSE Classes are extensions of the Sathya Sai Centres and recognised as heart-to-heart tuitions for children free of charge. The years ahead saw the rigorous formulation of National SSE calendar for all groups which included topics on the life and teachings of Sathya Sai Baba as a Divine Master incarnate (Avatar); unity of faiths ; Aboriginal culture and the ‘Nine Point Code of Conduct’. In addition huge emphasis is now laid on strengthening the Inner world of the child and action plans are laid to help develop faith in Sathya Sai baba’s universal teachings by introducing them in the lesson plans (overall curriculum) as follows:

Duration and Location of classes depend on Sathya Sai Centre

♥ SSE Classes usually run weekly.

♥ Approximately 32–34 classes each year.

♥ Classes are usually held in keeping with the school calendar year.

♥ The year’s schedule is planned in advance.

♥ Classes are usually held during weekends

Course content

♥ The Calendar for the Year for the various groups is as outlined by The National Education Coordinator and adapted to suit local conditions.

♥ Resource material is provided by The National Education Coordinator however the SSE teachers are expected to research and develop their own lesson plans.

♥ SSE Teachers may also use numerous other materials, which are in keeping with the objectives of the SSE Program.

♥ The five teaching techniques in SSE are: Silent Sitting, Prayers, Thought for the Day Quotations, Story Telling, Group Singing and Music followed by Group discussions and Activities.

♥ Two additional techniques are used in Australia namely Mind Mapping and Creative Visualisation


SSE Group School Year

Pre SSE Pre School: Kindergarten

Group 1 Years 1,2,3

Group 2 Years 4,5,6

Group 3 Years 7,8,9

Group 4 Years 10,11,12

Youth Post-Secondary


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♥ Curriculum to include:

o Prayers from the major Religions of the worldo Study of the five elements, human body and mind and

the interconnecting divinityo Simple Quotes and stories from Swami and other

great spiritual personalitieso Devotional Singing (Bhajan)o Value based storieso Swami’s Life & Teachingso Significance of festivals and important National dayso Health and Hygieneo 9 Points Code of Conduct and 10 Principleso Ceiling on Desireso Participation in Family activities, Sai Centre activities

and Service activities o Developing life skills for practical living

Other Milestones:

✓ Sathya Sai Organisation formed SSE Teacher Training Committee which is now responsible for SSE Teacher Training.

✓ Enrichment Refresher Days for SSE Teachers and Devotees in all states once a year.

✓ Lesson plans and topics taught are emailed to Parents.

✓ The first ever Sathya Sai International Organisation (SSIO) SSE Conference was held in Puttaparthi 1st - 3Rd August 2015.

✓ Sharing of resources between states and nations.✓ A separate week for the Lessons on Names of Sathya

Sai Baba (Astotra) was initiated. This was another attempt to include Swami’s stories and content into the curriculum. Each Name describes one of His countless Divine attributes and powers.

✓ Revision and evaluation of lessons through attitude tests for students of all groups were introduced.

✓ Spiritual Diary for all age groups.✓ Group 4 student to be mentored by Youth for easy

transition to Youth Wing.✓ Teacher Resources website was developed. The

calendar for the year with the weekly topics is loaded on to the website. In addition it also has other folders with Festivals and Events, Spiritual Practices, Swami’s stories and Swami’s quiz for different age groups.

✓ Teachers are encouraged to do a self–evaluation or self audit at the end of each term, just as a way of self-reflection.

Extra-Curricular Activities:

Annual Events & Celebrations -

SSE teachers, children and parents take part in a number of offerings and festivities all the year around:

• Annual CelebrationsMahasamadhi Day, Easwaramma Day, Guru Poornima, Education week, Avatar Declaration Day, Baba’s Birth Anniversary and Christmas Celebrations

• Selfless Service activitiesTree planting, Visits to Recycling centres, Nursing home visits.

• Social ActivitiesSSE Sports Day, SSE Camps and retreats and Career fairs.

From here ……to…….HimWhen one practices the human values – the day and the place becomes Holy – this is essentially what we want to drive into our students, the celebrations and offerings are to add some vibrancy in the process.

I imagine our SSE classes to be like Swami himself - fun, quirky, disciplined and structured (yet unpredictable) which should aid in raising a generation of boys and girls with clean and clear conscience.

Every person involved with SSE to feel and share this love, light and peace that will make the commute to the SSE class a heavenly delight.

Sri Sathya Sai baba will remain our focus. Practical Spirituality will be the funda (Funda is nothing but a modus operendi. That is way of doing something or a method).

“The day of awakening is not far away and when it comes there will be a true revelation of the true power of God, a manifestation of the omnipresence of The Lord. This will be the signal for a great move forward and the weeding out of those who are not ready to accept the challenge of the moment… It will be just so. Mark My words. But few will listen, very few.

After the storm there will be completely different beginning and the atmosphere will be completely different. It will be like a new age, the age of love, harmony and cooperation replacing the age of war, fighting, hatred, jealous, greed and all the negative aspects of life. Everyone should prepare NOW for this change, for I promise you that it will come, and only those who are ready will survive.

I have given the warning. I have given My message a thousand times and no one who hears My words can proclaim ignorance. Don’t delay action to put right your own lifestyle and to change it to the way of God. There is no other way.” - Sathya Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Baba


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Ratna RatnavadivelChair of Sai Spiritual Education Teacher Training

Committee (SSETTC) Certified SSE Teacher (SSIO), Diploma in Human Values (ISSEA),

SSE Teacher Trainer and ISSEA Facilitator. Sai Centre:

Sathya Sai Centre of Mill Park, Victoria

Previous Office Bearer Positions:Devotional Coordinator and Chairperson –Sathya Sai Centre of Mill

Park, Victoria. Regional Education Co ordinator , Regional Chairperson Region

West ,Victoria. Member of National Sai School Service Committee (NSSSC)

OVERVIEW

The Australian Sai Spiritual Education Teacher Training Committee (SSETTC) was formed following Release 409 from the Central Coordinator in January 2014. The Committee is entrusted with the overarching responsibility for Sai Spiritual Education Teacher Training and accreditation in Australia.

The SSETT Committee is the prime National SSE Teacher Support Group , and will be the “presiding body” ,as described in the Operations Manual for Centers and Groups of the ISSO August 2012.

As part of the Teacher Training (TT) programme, a comprehensive training model has been developed based on a praxis model, where theory informs practice and practice informs theory. The Teacher Trainers are properly trained via a ‘Train the Trainer program’ by our National Teacher Training Coordinator as per the guidelines. The trainers are then committed to train the teachers to enable them to embark on the task of ensuring quality delivery of SSE programs to our SSE children. The SSETT Committee is responsible for proposing overall training plan for SSE teachers in Australia

and for the delivery and management of all state based SSE Teacher training teams.

Swami says, “Teachers are reservoirs from which, through the process of education, students draw in the water of life. Only if there is water in the tank can you get water in the tap. If the tank is dry, how can you draw water from the tap” – Sathya Sai Baba, 13 May 1970, Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol.10, Ch.9.

The SSETTC as the presiding body offers a five day state based initial face to face TT programme for untrained SSE teachers or for new aspiring SSE teachers to:

• Receive concentrated and comprehensive training in all facets of SSE to keep the tank full all time.

• Gain a practical understanding of the responsibilities of a SSE Teacher, and the techniques and methodologies required to teach efficiently and effectively.

This course is part of the learning pathway leading to become a SSE teacher and the aim here is to ensure the aspiring teacher remains as full tank and will be able to give pure and quality water to the SSE children continuously for their life.The whole program is run via the National Education Wing Coordinator through the Regional and Centre Education Wing Co ordinators and the State based TT Coordinating team members.

All Sai Devotees who are willing to make a commitment to the ideals of Sathya Sai Baba, are welcome to undertake the Course.

The Committee is also responsible for establishing the criteria to certify new and existing SSE teachers to be placed on the register of accredited SSE trained teachers for Australia. Accreditation will be on the basis of new training, or of recognition of past training and or experience.

“Certified SSE Teacher” is a nationally SSIO recognised qualification essential for all aspiring teachers. All devotees who wish to receive this Certificate and to teach SSE in Sai Centres and Groups in Australia must successfully complete all components of the training.


OPERATIONS OF THE AUSTRALIAN SAI SPIRITUAL EDUCATION TEACHER TRAINING COMMITTEE (SSETTC)

Dr. Pal Dhall: Teacher Training session


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(Continued from Page 25)

However, at this stage, it would not be a requirement for practicing teachers to be Certified, but a time limit would be set within next three years to allow for any necessary upgrading of training, after which only Certified teachers on the national register would be allowed to teach SSE classes unsupervised.

The following are requirements to become a Certified SSE Teacher: Step 1: Attend a state based five day initial face to face TT programme designed for untrained (existing) SSE teachers or for new aspiring SSE teachers conducted by the Teacher Trainers.

Step2: Undergo Training/Assessment for new aspiring teachers- “mentor training” will occur in a hands-on classroom situation in cooperation with an experienced teacher.For untrained existing teachers, all requests for recognition of prior training undertaken by devotees will be assessed on a case by case basis and pathways provided (where required) for them to receive necessary supplementary training if they are unable to provide evidence of adequate training.

Step3: Receive Certificate - Once steps 1 and 2 are successfully completed the newly trained teachers will then receive a certificate stating that they are “Certified SSE Teacher” and names will be entered on the list of qualified SSE teachers for Australia and will be maintained by the National Education Coordinator.

While the Initial TT is essential to become a SSE teacher it is also important to provide continuous support to develop their skills. As part of an Ongoing Professional Development (OPD) Programme all the existing SSE teachers, together with certified SSE teachers will be required to attend the refresher training organised by SSETTC on a regular basis.

The current Committee was appointed in June 2015, and is comprised of a Chair, the National Teacher Training Coordinator who will also be the Deputy Chair, the National Education Wing Coordinator and two other members responsible for Mentoring and Research and Professional Development .

As members of the Committee, we acknowledge that its collective task is to serve Sathya Sai Baba and His devotees through the delivery of quality and timely needs-based SSE Teacher Training in Australia. To achieve this, we as a united team undertake to work together harmoniously, and be

respectful of the collective wisdom of the committee.The set of Guidelines developed by the previous Committee in 2014 have been revised to include the roles of the new members, and these were approved by the Central Coordinator in July 2015.

We have a number of systems such as regular members meetings, evaluation of the trainers and training programmes, which are in place to monitor and evaluate all our programmes and delivery methods. These guide us to continuously improve our performance and review activities as and when required.

We also have sub-committees for each component of the training programmes as a supporting tool to assist to carry out periodic reviews of manuals ,guidelines and resource books , promotional materials and code of conduct, and to recommend changes as necessary. In this way, the sub-committees oversee all aspects of the programmes and make recommendations to the committee to ensure the successful implementation. We also produce an annual report to the Central Co ordinator and the National Council on our Committee’s activities.Over the next three years, our focus will be on five priority areas to further improve our quality and delivery method.

Develop Guidelines and Code of Conduct for Teacher Trainers and SSE Teachers and Mentors in Australia.

Develop workshop manuals for OPD and Refresher training courses.

Work closely with the National Education Coordinator to update and maintain a Register of Trained SSE Teachers.

Revise and update The TT Manuals in the light of the experience of using them, and from feedback receive from all resources including recommendations from the International SSE conference held in Prashanthi Nilayam in August 2015.

Finalise registration process for all SSE teachers and upgrade of under qualified SSE Teachers.

As the Chair I have the overall responsibility for the management of the SSETT Committee for the delivery of objectives in an efficient and effective manner.

In all operations, we strive to model the human values and practice the spirit of Love All and Serve All.

The details of other components of the process are covered in articles written by other members of the Committee separately.

I thank Swami for this opportunity and would like to conclude my article with one of Swami’s quotations which inspired me to be part of this noble task.

“The teaching profession is the noblest of all. The teacher has got all the capacity to mould the careers of the students committed to his or her care” – Sathya Sai Baba, 11 September 1988; Sathya Sai Speaks,Vol.31,Ch.29


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Ritu MalhotraNational Mentoring Co ordinator

Sai Spiritual Education Teacher Training Committee (SSETTC) Member

Sai Centre: Sathya Sai Centre of Willetton, Western Australia.

Previous Office Bearer Positions:Regional Education Co ordinator, Western Australia.

Sathya Sai Education Qualifications:Diploma in Human Values (ISSEA) SSE Teacher Trainer and ISSEA

Facilitator: Introduction in Value education, SSE training course conducted in the Middle East by Dr Jumsai and Lorraine Burrows.

MENTORING

Introduction

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” ― Benjamin Franklin

I just came across this quote as I was doing some research on mentoring and I wanted to share it because, to me, it encapsulates an important role mentors can play in a mentee's/ trainee’s life-expanding the possibilities! We all have tunnel vision about ourselves in some form and it's a great catalyst and motivator when someone we respect encourages us to reach beyond our expectations. Words like: "I know you can do this” or "Look how far you've come and you can go so much further with the abilities you have" affirms our teaching -learning process.

One of the reasons mentoring is so powerful and transformational is because of the personal interest the mentor takes in the mentee's/ trainees development and the faith he/she demonstrates in their mentee/ trainee. Be sure to remember some of these inspirational words the next time you sit down with your mentee. A little inspiration can go a very long way. I know you can do it!

What is Mentoring?

“A structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the

competence and character of the mentee” (National Youth Mentoring Benchmarks 2007).

Concept Clarification

Tutoring typically forms part of an education program, University Lecturers 'tutor' students. Tutoring tends to be focused on teaching, or enhancing taught skills and knowledge.

Coaching is focused on competency and skill development. All professional sports teams have at least one 'coach' focused on developing team members and helping them reach their full capabilities.

Mentoring is a more complex process and relationship. The skill of the Mentor is to help unlock the complex factors needed to allow the Mentee to grow within him/herself, ask the right questions from within, develop creative solutions, and find new ways to succeed from within themselves. Frequently the Mentee has a similar level of knowledge and experience as the Mentor but needs an independent third party to talk through issues and to explore options and new ideas with; using the combined depth and breadth of vision of both the Mentor and the Mentee to create new insights and knowledge.

The aims of mentoring include:

• being challenged to explore and integrate new perspectives.

• developing new insights on specific challenges, including strategy and policy.

Role of a Mentee and Trainee

Mentoring is a partnership between two individuals, the mentor and the mentee. In considering the roles of the mentor, he or she must wear many hats throughout the process. A mentee must also perform several roles.

The mentee needs to absorb the mentor’s knowledge and have the ambition and desire to know what to do with this knowledge. As a mentee he/she needs to practice and demonstrate what has been learned. (Continued on page 28)


http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/289513.Benjamin_Franklin

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/289513.Benjamin_Franklin

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Benefits for a Mentor

The benefits of mentoring are well known: It gives less experienced teachers valuable feedback, insight and support, while passing down wisdom and knowledge.

Take a moment, though, to consider how being a mentor will help you with your own learning journey.

For starters, the most effective mentors also improve their own teaching skills. As you assist your mentee, you have the chance to reflect on and articulate your own expertise and experience–something you probably don’t take time to do otherwise. Along the way, you may see patterns you didn’t spot before.

Mentoring also helps you view teaching with a fresh eye toward its functions, role and curriculum. Also, many mentors say they get personal satisfaction and fulfillment from their mentoring relationships. If you’re feeling burned out or cynical, mentoring can give you a boost.

What does it take to become an effective mentor?

• Develop and manage the mentoring relationship. Initially, this involves assessing your own readiness and interest. Over time, it means working to build trust, set goals and keep the mentoring relationship on track.

• Guide and counsel. You may serve as a confidant, sounding-board and personal advisor to your mentee, especially as the relationship grows deeper over time.

• Teach. Many mentors enjoy the teaching aspects of mentoring, which means not only imparting their knowledge but also sharing their experiences and recommending assignments.

• Model. Just while observing your mentees pick up many things: ethics, values and standards; style, beliefs and attitudes; methods and procedures. They are likely to follow your lead, adapt your approach to their own style, and build confidence through their affiliation with you.

• Motivate and inspire. Mentors support, validate and encourage their mentees. When you help your mentees link their own goals, values and emotions to the organization, they become more engaged in their own development.

My Role in SSETT Committee as Mentoring Co ordinator

Manage all SSE Teacher mentoring programs in Australia.

Plan activities such as local professional meetings/seminars/conferences to foster the mentoring relationship and to contribute to the mentee’s professional development.

Responsible for reviewing mentoring guidelines as and when required.

Be responsible for the assessment and organising of presentation of professional “Certified SSE Teacher”

certificates for the new teachers after successfully completing the mentoring program.

Mentoring Training Sub Committee

The role of the Mentoring Training Sub Committee is to oversee all aspects of the mentoring training programme and make recommendations to the committee to ensure the successful implementation of the mentoring programme. As a part of this it will:

• Develop clear guidelines for mentors and trainees/ mentees.

• Plan activities to foster the mentoring relationship.

• Develop appropriate feedback forms and record sheets for mentors and trainees/mentees to use.

• Maintain a record of achievement for the mentoring programme for each trainee/mentee.

These activities would normally be done in co operation with Regional Education Co ordinator and Regional Training Team.

Process of Mentoring

• Provide support and guidance when a trainee teaches the SSE class.

• Provide appropriate feedback for any question from the trainee.

• Trainee will begin by teaching Groups 1 and 2.

• Trainee can begin by teaching part of the lesson using one or two of the teaching techniques.

• Keep a record of achievement for the trainee during the mentoring programme.

• Mentor to use ‘Mentor Checklist’ to keep a record of achievement for the trainee.

• When the trainee is competent in each of the five teaching techniques and is able to run the class on their own, the ‘Mentor Checklist’ can be completed.

The mentoring program is an integral part of the training of SSE teachers and their certification. The ultimate aim is to have a well-trained group of SSE teachers following clear guidelines for the Australian Sai Spiritual Education program.

Mentor training involves a period hands-on classroom situation in cooperation with an experienced teacher. The aim here is to give the aspiring teacher the knowledge they need, but more importantly the skills and confidence to put this into practice in a supportive way.

Only after the aspiring teacher feels that he has the confidence, and the mentor feels that the teacher has the necessary skills, will he become an independent teacher. This process will take a differing length of time for each individual but would generally be around six to nine months.



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Sathya Sai Baba Quotes on Education

“You are dealing with tender children, as their teachers, guides and examples. You have to equip yourselves for

those roles by living the values that distinguish mankind”.

“Teachers can achieve any high ideal, provided they are co-operative, well disciplined, soaked in service and

sacrifice and fully determined to succeed”.

“Carry out your duties, as teachers in the spirit of dedication, love and service, and stand forth as bright

examples to the country and the world”.


Benefits for a Mentor

The benefits of mentoring are well known: It gives less experienced teachers valuable feedback, insight and support, while passing down wisdom and knowledge.

Take a moment, though, to consider how being a mentor will help you with your own learning journey.

For starters, the most effective mentors also improve their own teaching skills. As you assist your mentee, you have the chance to reflect on and articulate your own expertise and experience–something you probably don’t take time to do otherwise. Along the way, you may see patterns you didn’t spot before.

Mentoring also helps you view teaching with a fresh eye toward its functions, role and curriculum. Also, many mentors say they get personal satisfaction and fulfillment from their mentoring relationships. If you’re feeling burned out or cynical, mentoring can give you a boost.

What does it take to become an effective mentor?

• Develop and manage the mentoring relationship. Initially, this involves assessing your own readiness and interest. Over time, it means working to build trust, set goals and keep the mentoring relationship on track.

• Guide and counsel. You may serve as a confidant, sounding-board and personal advisor to your mentee, especially as the relationship grows deeper over time.

• Teach. Many mentors enjoy the teaching aspects of mentoring, which means not only imparting their knowledge but also sharing their experiences and recommending assignments.

• Model. Just while observing your mentees pick up many things: ethics, values and standards; style, beliefs and attitudes; methods and procedures. They are likely to follow your lead, adapt your approach to their own style, and build confidence through their affiliation with you.

• Motivate and inspire. Mentors support, validate and encourage their mentees. When you help your mentees link their own goals, values and emotions to the organization, they become more engaged in their own development.

Base all educational efforts on building up of the character of the

students, and then you can confidently think of raising on in the

super-structure of curricula.

- Sathya Sai Baba


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Vidya Mohan National Research & Professional Development

CoordinatorSai Spiritual Education Teacher Training Committee

(SSETTC) MemberSai Centre:

Sathya Sai Centre of Hoppers Crossing,VictoriaPrevious Office Bearer Positions:

Hoppers Crossing Sai Centre - Education Coordinator, Victoria West Region Spiritual Coordinator,

Hoppers Crossing Sai Centre – Chairperson, SSE Teacher. Sathya Sai Education Qualifications:

Certified SSE Teacher , SSE Teacher Trainer

I would like to thank swami for giving me an opportunity to be his instrument. I pray to swami to guide me in every thought, word and deed so that I may carry out the responsibility entrusted to me.

As a Research and Professional Development coordinator, I see my role as pivotal to the Sai Spiritual Education and also SSE Teachers’ Training program. I see my role as promoting a culture of KEY (Keep Educating Yourself) a training

methodology in which the teacher is constantly learning while at the same time having a positive impact on student (children) outcomes.

The positive development within children has a direct relationship and dependency on teachers who greatly influence the quality of Spiritual learning and the outcomes of student progress.

As a coordinator for Research and Professional Development of SSE teachers, my areas of focus and attention will be as below: • Prepare Guidelines and a Code of Conduct for Trainers

and Teachers as part of professional ethics program which will be subject to review regularly by the committee.

• Provide an apprentice-based model supported by conceptual and reflective practice workshops.

• Provide technical support to the SSETTC committee templates for reporting and feedback helping us to improve and maintain our standards.

• Overseeing refresher courses on an ongoing basis for current SSE teachers.

• Responsible for eNews relating to SSE teaching and training.

• Update Fact Sheets about SSE teaching and training and is responsible for Website development for teacher training materials in consultation with the national Webmaster.

• My role is also to assist the SSE TT team in identifying and implementing teaching best practices and providing a positive and progressively developing environment for both the teachers and the students.

We need to start moving away from the concept of “one size fits all”. Groups 3 and 4 teaching needs a different approach to groups 1 and 2. The simple structure of following the 5 teaching techniques and 2 strategies were not sufficient to enthuse the children. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on Educare or the Socratic questioning approach.

Teaching one Value automatically taught all five. More emphasis on problem-based and inquiring or experiential learning is needed. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we can utilise the expertise and the ground work done at our own Sai School. Teaching is only a component of the spiritual growth, while taking part in Service activities and integration with the Sai Centers can be considered as catalysts to the process.

There is available plethora of information and resources available that can be utilized for providing support to the students and also the teachers, but if the teachers are not trained and motivated or not trained enough, the possibility of the quality and the enthusiasm in both the teachers and the students dwindling down is certain. In a very dynamic and ever changing world the teachers should be equipped to embrace the current trends and focus on the critical areas of student development.

“This tumbler is full of water. Unless you pour it out you cannot fill it again. Today man filled his heart with bad qualities. He has to get rid of these so that he can fill his heart with Human Values”. – Divine Discourse, 20-11-1993



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As one of the SSETT team member my role is also to assist to identify appropriate learning activities for the teachers. Below are some processes that we can put in place to be able to achieve them:

Identify the Fundamental requirements to be an SSE teacher. This does not mean any discrimination or judging any individual, but the idea is to understand if an individual is motivated enough to put an effort in progressing his or her journey in the Spiritual path thus taking along with him or her the students and also fellow members.

Once a member has been identified with the necessary motivation to progress, the team can step in to enhance this process by the way of organizing a basic training program for the member to commence his journey.

Once the training program has been initated, it will then provide an opportunity for the member to undergo the process of learning and sharing at a comfortable pace that suites him best.

The above few would get a member started but the process of learning and sharing has to be a continuous process so that the member gets a new taste and the motivation is protected and nurtured further. Research and Professional Development is a continuous process that would constantly and consistently to a new dimension and further empower and strengthen the member’s inclination to move forward in his / her journey. Some of the areas of professional development that can be considered are mentioned below:

Strong emphasis on teachers learning specific content.

Strong emphasis on teachers learning pedagogical content for how to teach the content to students.

Inclusion of multiple activities to provide follow-up reinforcement of learning, assistance with implementation and support for teachers from mentors and colleagues in their centers.

Active learning / teaching methods using the teaching techniques (Silent sitting, creative visualization, Quotation, Story, Music and Mind map).

Introducing learning goals for teachers in the design of the Professional Development.

Collective participation.

While we try to identify the areas of improvement in the delivery of quality Spiritual development amongst the students or children and a spiritual and or professional for the teachers, we need to take stock of the critical aspects that may slow down or become stumbling blocks in the development.

As a team member of SSE TT my role also is to assist the team in identifying, understanding and supporting the team to overcome these hurdles. Some of the common ones are listed as below:

Lack of confidence

No exploring out their comfort zones

Getting overburdened

Family and other commitments

Lack of appreciation

Sense of belongingness

Lack of interest by parents (Less priority for SSE)

“The objective of education should be

impressed on the children’s minds.

The academic education of today

is shallow and useless because it

has no value orientation”.

- Sathya Sai Baba


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The current state coordinators are:

State Delivery Coordinator Administrator

South Australia Seelan Chetty Surya Barelds

Queensland Sangita Naidu Nirmala Deo

Victoria Vasumathi Ravinthiran Angie Bhan

Western Australia Durga Bhamidipaty Saras Mohann

New South Wales Selvi Ramanan Jeya Sriskanthan

Background to SSE Teacher Training (2014 to current)

As a National SSE Teacher Trainer appointed in 2014, my first task was the development of a SSE Teacher Training Manual.

Two pilot SSE TT programs were conducted in Melbourne and Sydney, commencing in March 2014. Nineteen devotees trained qualified as SSE teachers. The feedback obtained from these offerings resulted in the manual being revised and th duration of the training reduced from seven to five days.The requirement to be a SSE teacher is to possess firm faith in Sathya Sai Baba, adhere to His teachings and a desire to be involved in His mission.SSE Teacher TrainersIn the current year, SSE TT teams were created in various states of Australia. Presently, forty one devotees have

satisfied the requirement to be National SSE teacher trainers.

Joint State Coordinators are responsible for the conducting of the SSE teacher training in each State, with one responsible for the delivery and the other for the administration of thetraining.

SSE Teacher Training ProgramThe program consists of 17 sessions usually conducted over 5 days. This is followed by a mentoring program with a duration that is dependent upon the ability of the trainee teacher to properly conduct a SSE lesson. Since March 2014, this program was designed to train SSE teachers for Group 1 and Group 2 classes. Pre-SSE, Group 3 and Group 4 teachers will require additional training which will be conducted on an annual basis as part of the SSE Teacher Professional Development Workshops.

Krishnamurthie Naidoo (Krish)

National Sai Spiritual Education Teacher Training Coordinator Deputy Chair SSE Teacher Training Committee.

Sai Centre: Newcastle, NSW.

Previous Office Bearer Positions:NSW Region West Function Coordinator,

Newcastle Sai Centre- Chair, Devotional and Service coordinator, SSE Teacher. Institute of Sathya Sai Education, Australia: NSW Hub Leader.

Sathya Sai Education Qualifications:Certified SSE Teacher, Diploma in Human Values,

Teacher Trainer.


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Sathya Sai Baba Quotes on Teacher Training“Human values cannot be learnt from lectures of text – books. Those who seek to impart values to students must first practice

them themselves and set an example”.

“Fill your hearts with love and lead the children under your care along the ideal path”.

“Resolve to sacrifice everything you have for the sake of the pure-hearted children who rely on you for guidance”.

“You can teach love to students only through love”.

Divya SriramNational Education Coordinator

Sai Spiritual Education

Sathya Sai Education Qualifications: Alumni Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning – Anantapur:

Certified SSE Teacher (SSIO) Introductory & Intermediary course (ISSEA)

Facilitator - Train the Trainers NSW.

Previous Office Bearer positions: Center Education Coordinator

NSW Region East Education Coordinator SSE Teacher

Sai Centre: Carlingford, NSW.Current Office Bearer Position:

SSE Teacher (Rydalmere Sai centre NSW)

The role of the National Education Coordinator is that of an advisory and supportive role in the SSETT committee.I strongly believe that our responsibility as SSE Teachers and Educators rests on the fact that we will be good examples to our students and peers by following the teachings of our Guru, Sathya Sai Baba every moment and have a heart-to-heart connection with our students in SSE.

The nation’s SSE teachers’ database is planned to be updated and monitored by the National Education Coordinator (NEC) on a regular basis. The database will act as the core document that will detail the Name, Contact, Centre, Region and/or State; details of training completed by the SSE teachers, the number of years of teaching experience, and the numbers that are currently teaching.

A SSE teacher’s register will be collated from all states every 2-3 years nationally that would make up the database.There will be regular feedbacks gathered from the regions and /or states as to how the students have benefitted by SSE trained teachers. NEC will follow up and work with the team on the need and requirement for teacher training in different regions.

Our goal for the coming years will be to build a national pool of trained SSE teachers who are propelled by their immense love and strong faith in Sathya Sai Baba and His teachings to raise a generation of children with characters par excellence.

(A detail description of the role of National Education Coordinator is given on pages 21 - 24 in this issue of Sai News Australia)


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Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) Conference – 2015

Krish Naidoo Australian Delegate Leader

Introduction

My humble salutations at the Divine Lotus Feet of our Dear Lord, Sathya Sai Baba. I, on behalf of all the delegates thank Swami for giving us the opportunity to attend the SSE conference held on 1-3 August 2015 in the Poornachandra Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi, India.

Network Stations

The rear end of the Poornachandra Hall was dedicated to the Network Stations. Each station showcased the SSE program or activities of their country. There were also special stations with interest to promote certain aspects of Sai Spiritual Education. Ample time was allocated in the program for delegates to visit the various stations to share the SSE activities. It was indeed a very humble experience in visiting the various stations and learning the extent to which Sai Spiritual Education is being delivered across the globe.

“Overall the conference was the best that I had attended at Prasanthi.” - Neville Fredericks, Zone 3 Chair, SSIO.

This statement by Neville encapsulates the sentiments shared by all the delegates from Australia that attended the conference. Approximately 500 delegates from 48 countries attended the conference. This was an opportunity given to them to be inspired, illumined and educated by the cross section of keynote speakers.

The small groups of delegates had the opportunity to interact in 15 workshops held at various times during the conference. They had the opportunity to articulate the SSE programs in their countries and or world zones of Sathya Sai International Organisation. This forum allowed them to bond with each other thereby creating networks across world zones. The innovative concept of this conference was the Network Stations that various countries and or zones were invited to participate in. Australian Delegates: Jeya Sriskanthan, Deepa Allada,

Nirmala Lingaratnam, Selvanie Naidoo, Shivendra Kumar, Ratna Rantnavadivel, Krish Naidoo

AusSSE Sta)on:

The name of the Australian Network Station was “AuSSE”. The key message emanating from the station was that the Sai Spiritual Education is a “Heart to Heart” program to help strengthen the “inner world” of the children and thereby prevent the spread of materialism. Currently, approximately one in five Australians are affected by the lack of spiritual education in human values resulting into many adverse and painful habits which appear to be reaching epidemic proportions.

In order to foster community spirit in spiritual education, SSE children are encouraged to participate in the various programs, namely, “Clean up Australia Day” and “National Tree Planting Day”.

AuSSE Sta)on

Samples of the SSE Alumni were surveyed and an extract from their responses was presented, entitled “Acorn to Oak Tree”. The spiritual connection to the land, the unique fauna and flora were also displayed. A video presentation depicting the history and culture in Australia was continuously screened. (Continued on page 35)


�35



Improving the effectiveness of SSE

The SSE program is a gift by Bhagawan to spiritually and morally channel the lives of children to achieve the purpose of this birth. It helps mould the character of each child based on a firm footing of right conduct and correct human values.

In view of the fact that SSE plays a crucial role in the lives of children, I would like to make a few suggestions to further improve the implementation and organisation of SSE in Australia:-

1. A more structured plan and execution of conducting SSE classes could be formulated and disbursed to all countries. This is to make sure that a uniform scheme of work is followed by all, and to prevent gross variations or divergences.

2. The dropout rate in SSE classes could be arrested if teachers were more innovative, enterprising and dedicated. To achieve this, the teacher training program must be reviewed, and efforts must be made to equip teachers with the necessary skills so that every lesson they take will be one eagerly longed for by students.

I sincerely hope the above matters will be taken into consideration, as the combined efforts and purpose is to enrich the lives of our children.

Summary of Workshops

The delegates were given the opportunity to select the workshop they wished to participate in. There were seven workshops held on day one. The focus was on curriculum, pedagogy, teacher training, alumni involvement, teen youth training, community projects and administration and governance. There were eight workshops on day three, which focused on parent involvement, Sathya Sai Baba and SSE, guidelines, professional development, distinction between SSE and SSEHV, international platform, links with ISSEs and innovative and interactive teaching techniques.

Conclusion It is important to have the awareness that the responsibility for Sai Spiritual Education in Sathya Sai International Organisation, is the collective responsibility of all Sai devotees, SSE teachers, patents and our national government authorities.

I pray to Sathya Sai Baba to help us to live in ‘constant integrated awareness’ and become true Sai devotees to foster Sai Spiritual Education to our children. We need the children and the children need us in this regard.

The following URL is a link to a good array of photos from the conference:

h"p://media.radiosai.org/journals/vol_13/01AUG15/Sai-‐Spiritual-‐EducaBon-‐Conference-‐2015/#

Australian SSE Alumni: “From Acorn to Oak Tree”

SSE Workshops in groups

Glimpses of the SSE Conference


http://media.radiosai.org/journals/vol_13/01AUG15/Sai-Spiritual-Education-Conference-2015/

http://media.radiosai.org/journals/vol_13/01AUG15/Sai-Spiritual-Education-Conference-2015/

�36

Common Service activities held throughout Australia during this winter season:

Blood Donation Throughout Australia, blood donation is a regular activity of our Sai Devotees and in particular when there is high demand during winter, our young adults intensify their regular visits even without reminders.

Tree Planting in Western Australia

Members from the WA Region were invited on 11th July 2015 to plant native trees with the assistance of South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare (SERCUL). The first tree planting activityat this location was in 2008 and a strong relationship with SERCUL has been developed over the past 7 years. Each year the Sathya Sai Organisation is invited back and allocated a different site on the old agricultural land to plant in. It is such a joy to come back year after year to see how the plants have grown!This event was open to the region and we had over 50

children and adults attending from all three centres. In 3 hours, the members planted over 2500 trees that restored the catchment and wetland systems in that area! Swami provided us with beautiful blue skies above us and wonderful loving company. Three Oms and three Gayathri Mantras were chanted at the start and end of the planting, so the saplings’ growth will be supercharged with Divine energy.

Tree Planting in VictoriaMembers took part this time on 26th July 2015 in 2 locations within Victoria Region East.It was a cold winter day, however the rain held off until the

completion of planting. In two locations there were 30 volunteers from the Sai Organisation and together with another small group of members, approximately 1500 trees were planted. It was satisfying to realise that Nature reciprocated by pouring down with rain immediately after it was over.We have built up rapport with both councils through previous service activities, and we finished the service activity, sharing lunch with the Council members.Tree Planting in South Australia

Members took part and planted together just about 500 trees. It was a lovely family fun activity. (Continued on page 37)


Winter Service Activities


�37


Tree Planting in New South Wales

It was one of Guru Purnima activities on 26th July 2015, Tree Planting over four different sites together with both NSW Regions East & West actively engaged 20 Sai Centres (approximately 100 devotees) and planted 20000 trees all up.

Winter offerings to homeless

It’s common during winter, that Sai devotees collectively throughout Australia become involved in offering appropriate clothing to the most needy – the homeless people. One of the Sai Centres received an appreciation email from the Caravan Management Committee in NSW Region West:

Dear Sai Members (Ladies group),

Please thank the ladies in your group who have kindly donated blankets, beanies, scarves and socks for the disadvantaged and homeless.

We have started giving them out.

They were very happy with their new gifts.

They don't like to stay long during very cold days. They will grab a meal and disappear quickly.

In the warmer months we have them out talking for a long time.

We appreciate your generosity and kindness.

Jeni Simmons

Caravan Management Committee

One of the photos was taken in summer, as you can see they will sit together and chat. The Caravan is in the background.


"Engage yourselves in service activity. Consider social service as service to God. This is the best way to earn

God's Love. Love all and serve all. Your entire life will be sanctified thereby." - Sathya Sai Baba


�38


Swami says,"Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand“.

Involving and connecting our members to our Sai School, being our primary service offering is the key objective of our National Sai School Committee team and our Service wing. Sathya Sai Baba said that global transformation would occur through Education in Human Values and the Sathya Sai School is leading this transformation in Australia. This is a key element in His global mission

To involve and connect our members to the school we: • Explain to our members why our school is our

primary service offering and clarify what our long term vision for the school is.

• Share the achievements of our school to date. • Highlight through 2 videos, one from a student’s

perspective and another from a parent’s perspective - how a value based education is providing a wonderful foundation for the kids at our school.

• Outline how members can contribute to the continued growth of the school

Why is our Sai School, the primary service offering and long term vision?

• Our Sai School is our connection to society. It is Love in action. Swami says, "we owe everything to society and should be grateful to society for all that we receive from it. We have to repay this debt by helping at least as many people as we can”.

• Through Education in Human Values we are serving a community in Murwillumbah that needs our help. Murwillumbah is a community that is more disadvantaged than most communities and the establishment of the secondary school has been in response to requests by parents.

• Our Sai School is tuition free, funded 70% by the government and with Swami providing us the valuable opportunity to serve our School.

• We have a long term vision to serve through education:

• Our Primary School has the capability to grow from an enrolment of 135 students to about 160 students.

• The DA approved Secondary and High School on the Dungay campus has all the facilities needed by the students.

• The Dungay campus will be home for our Institute of Education and has the potential to become the headquarters of our organisation in the future.

• In planning the future strategies for the growth and expansion of both the primary and secondary schools, it is our vision that they will both be self sufficient by the year 2022.

• Contribute to nation building by taking values based education to all Australian Schools.

Achievements to date:There are a number of significant achievements of our school to reflect on:

• Our School has grown from 9 students in a Devotees home in Murwillumbah to 135 students in our Primary School with good facilities.

• Academic Success – NAPLAN results show that our school is amongst the best performing schools in the area.

• The students of our school have earned the respect and admiration of the community at large, as they have displayed themselves as spiritually and morally upright men and women, practicing the sacred values propounded by Bhagawan.

How we can contribute:

• Prayers – Our prayers will enable our school to grow from strength to strength and contribute to nation Building by taking values based education to all Australian Schools.

• Service at the School – Many of you have enquired about how you can serve the school. We will organize at least 2 working bees at our school per year, in consultation with our school administrators.

• Financial contributions – Many of our members contributed towards sponsorships of $1008 per person last year. To fulfil the ongoing requirements of the primary school till school pupil numbers reach 160, the school requires contributions of $200,000 per year. To fulfil this we have the opportunity to contribute towards sponsorships of a $1008 per person, starting from now til Swami’s 90th Birthday celebrations. Please refer to the attached form for details on how we can contribute. Sponsorships can be individual or group donations.

Sai School Website:• The Sai School website is a very useful resource and can be

found on this link www.sathyasaischoolaust.org• We have used 2 videos from the website, one from a

student’s perspective and another from a parent’s perspective that we have shared with our member’s as part of the Sai centre visits. These 2 videos can be found on the bottom of the home page on the website.

• There is also a new video that is available on the recently acquired Secondary School that will be shared with you as part of your Sai centre visits on the school.


Sathya Sai School, the primary service offering and long term vision - By: Sudan Sundaram

Sathya Sai Primary School, Murwillumbah, NSW


http://www.sathyasaischoolaust.org

http://www.sathyasaischoolaust.org

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Sathya Sai Primary School Character Development Academic Achievement

Sponsor a Child - Donation

Name: Dr/Mr./Mrs./Ms: (First Name):………………………………..(Last Name):………………………………………

Address: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Suburb…………………………………………………………….. State…………………… Postal Code …………………….

Phone ………………….. Mobile ……………………….. Email ………………….……………………………………………

Centre: ……………………………………………………………………..Region …………….………………………………..

Please give your name and address so that we can send a receipt promptly.

Donation via EFT: Please put your name on the transaction reference of bank transfer so that the School can identify the donor. Please notify the Business Manager by email to [email protected] when making EFT.

Donation by Cheques: Please make cheques payable to either of the above accounts. Post it with this form to:Business Manager, Sathya Sai School, PO Box 705, Murwillumbah NSW 2484

Purpose – for sponsoring a Child at Sathya Sai School

Donations to this account is not tax deductible

School Bank Account details

St. George Bank

Account Name: Sathya Sai School NSW Inc.

BSB: 112-879

Account No. 410060241

Donation amount: $________________

It is the loving and generous support and help of Sai participants that have enabled the school to successfully introduce Sai Baba’s values into the wider community.

Thankyou for your love and support

True education is not for a mere living, but for a fuller and meaningful life - Baba


mailto:[email protected]


�40

Media Committee is not alone to accomplish its vision:

1. What cannot be accomplished by any one member of the organisation, can be accomplished by a committee of members with full support of the Sai devotees of the organisation.

2. The media committee can increase the awareness of Sathya Sai Baba’s universal teachings to the world at large for peace

and progress of all people in the diversity of their existence only in conjunction and full support of the members of Sathya Sai Organisation.

Accordingly we have chosen the following major goals to build our media committee strategy:

1. To connect with grass-roots, the Sai Centre/Group levels:

Sai Centres/Groups that use the media committee effectively will benefit by being able to connect to the wider community from wherever they are. The members at the Sai Centre/Group levels are the best people who will know what activities they are engaged in and why. They are the best examples of people, though living in a world of diversity, yet are united in spirituality. Their experiences in spiritual life are of paramount importance. The task of the media committee is to access this wealth of knowledge so as to enlighten the world at large.

2. To receive feedback:

Getting authentic feedback on our media reporting or selfless service activities, is a fantastic way to modify or improve our mode of operations. However, we must be willing to acknowledge and use some of these feedbacks. Our media committee networks are perfect places to monitor the feelings of approval or dissent centering around SSIO activities. The views, opinions and reactions of members will greatly help the committee to plan, modify and upgrade its programs to satisfy the wishes of the majority.

3. To establish a credible Media Committee:

The Media Committee has, as its tool a great platform to espouse our values which will be of great help to all. The goals of this committee should be to develop unity in the community, raise the awareness of our innate divinity and create goodwill and trust for one another.

It takes effort, time and dedication. But it’s worth it.

Do you have a successful story for our Sai News Australia for the spiritual benefits of our readers and yourself as well?

The media committee requires your ongoing support by providing interesting articles and photographs of inspiring selfless service activities. You are encouraged to share your SAI knowledge and SAI experiences in the form of small articles and photos. You can send them to [email protected] at any time of the year. We ask Region Presidents or Media officers to send reports and photos immediately after any special events. To find out more information on what is happening in the Sai Organisation online, we have listed a few website below which you may find useful: Sai Australia - http://www.saiaustralia.org.au/Sathya Sai International Organisation – http://www.sathyasai.org/ Sathya Sai Universe - http://saiuniverse.sathyasai.org/Sathya Sai Humanitarian Relief – http://sathyasaihumanitarianrelief.org/

In Loving Sai Service,

Mr Andy Raveendran – Chair (Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0430 151 485) Mr Mick Thrush – General Editor Mr Shiri Chandiran – Web WriterMr Hari Balasingam - General Editor Mr Mark Proctor - Video SupervisorMs Judy Rowling – Supervising Editor Sai News Australia Mr Piranavan Myooran - Video Editor Mr Ravi Shankar – Compiling Editor Sai News Australia Mr Deven Nair - Member Mr Shane Rao – Webmaster Ms Deluxmi Logendran - Member


Disclaimer: The comments contained in this publication have been edited from personal contributions. Photos are supplied. The content does not express nor imply the views of the Sathya Sai Organisation of Australia & PNG. Please address contributions/comments/enquiries to: [email protected]



http://www.saiaustralia.org.au/

http://www.sathyasai.org/

http://www.apple.com

http://sathyasaihumanitarianrelief.org/


http://www.saiaustralia.org.au/

http://www.sathyasai.org/

http://www.apple.com

http://sathyasaihumanitarianrelief.org/



Documents

Sathya Sai International Organisation of Australia & …...Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha The Vedic Mantra showers veneration and homage unto the Guru’s feet. The Guru is revered as God