SSE Newsletter Issue 7 23Nov08 - saidetroit.org Matters/SSE Newsletter_Issue 7_23Nov08.pdfothers, stretching the truth, deceiving others, and of course, ... I love playing Mridangam

Issue No. 7 1 November 23rd

, 2008 Editors: Sai Lokesh Pagadala and Shivali Sachdev Editorial Advisor: Lata Conjeevaram

The SSE Matters Newsletter is published bi-monthly by the SSE Group III Students of Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Southfield, Michigan

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Message from the EditorsMessage from the EditorsMessage from the EditorsMessage from the Editors

Sai Ram Everyone!

We are pleased to publish this 1111stststst Anniversary edition of Anniversary edition of Anniversary edition of Anniversary edition of SSE MattersSSE MattersSSE MattersSSE Matters on the auspicious and happy occasion of our beloved Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s 83rd Birthday! We would like to thank all the members of our Sai Center, Officers & SSE Staff, SSE students and parents, the Newsletter editorial board and the contributing authors for their continued support and encouragement for this SSE undertaking. We hope for, and look forward to your support for the SSE SSE SSE SSE MattersMattersMattersMatters Newsletter by contributing articles and sharing your wisdom and experiences with the young readers.

We would like you all to join us in welcoming our new editor, Maithri MalladiMaithri MalladiMaithri MalladiMaithri Malladi! Maithri will be on board from the January 09 issue of the Newsletter. Thank you, Shivali, for your help as the editor over the past several months.

Dear readers, hope you enjoy this special Anniversary issue of SSE MattersSSE MattersSSE MattersSSE Matters. We look forward to seeing many more inspiring articles for our future publications! Jai Sai Ram!

Sai Lokesh Pagadala

Shivali Sachdev




A Serious Dilemma…

It has become a common practice to lie in today’s world. We all lie for many different reasons; including insecurity, fear of consequences, etc. However, we all know that lying is not the way to be. Truth is arguably the most important human value. It is the edifice of all the other values and sub-values, especially dharma (right conduct). Truth is defined as thoughts, words, and deeds that do not change over time, in other words they are timeless and consistent. Any entity that is relative is not the truth either.

We should all agree that truth is not an easy thing to practice, as are any of the human values. To make applying truth easier there are some guidelines which can be followed. The Do’s of implementing truth are to live the truth: with truthful thoughts, words, and deeds; practice the truth, be truthful to ourselves, be devoted to Swami, follow the human values when telling the truth, and have positive faith in others and not judge them. The Don’ts include judging and assuming things about others, stretching the truth, deceiving others, and of course, lying. To be a truthful person character, your true value system and personality, what others perceive you as should also be consistent.

To start solving the terrible tendency to lie, a person needs to start at the root of the problem. To practice speaking the truth, first you have to be aware of the lie, and then correct it. Next, you should detail why you lie? At home people usually lie because they are afraid of getting into trouble. In school students lie because of insecurity (social issues), they lie about personal issues to fit in, and sometimes people spread false rumors about others for the same reason. Becoming aware of the reasons we lie can help us fix the mistake pf lying.

Practicing truth can gain a person many treasures. By following the guidelines for practicing truth we can make our character stronger, make our good habits stronger, and it also becomes easier to develop and follow the five human values. When individuals lie they feel bad about lying. This brings their self-esteem and confidence down in their own eyes and as perceived by others. Speaking the truth brings up our self-esteem and poise, we become more trustworthy, more truthful, and we have more integrity in the eyes of others.

Truth is right action and a very good quality. Do it!

- Kirtana Ghandikota, SSE Group III




My Dear Baba

I love music very much. Music means a lot to me. Music stands for.......

M for Melody U for Understanding S for Surprising I for Interesting C for Complicated

I love playing Mridangam a lot. I love and respect my teacher Respect stands for..............

R for reaching all goals E for Enjoy what you do S for Speak softly and politely P for Practice regularly E for End with good thoughts C for Complete every task T for Think about using your time wisely

I will respect all my teachers and elders. I love you very much Baba. Please Bless me.

- Sai Karthik, SSE Group II

Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s Words…

Where there is faith, there is love Where there is love, there is peace, Where there is peace, there is truth, Where there is truth there is bliss, Where there is bliss, there is God.







Sai Makes Things Happen!

My move to Dallas showed me how much Swami cares for me. Even though I thought that moving would be the worst experience of my life, it actually helped me out in a lot of ways. And I owe it all to Swami.

Months before we even made the decision, I knew that I wasn’t going to spend all of my childhood in Michigan. This made me feel unimportant, like my opinion did not matter. I knew that the economy was bad, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was to grow in Michigan, learn in Michigan, and make all the important decisions of my life in Michigan. I felt as though Michigan was the best place in the world. I still feel that way, I do not deny it.

Then came the day when my parents told us the news. I was in shock. Though I knew it would happen, I couldn’t believe it. I felt that all my praying, all my pleading, had gone to waste. I was, for the first time in my life, angry at Swami. If He had even cared about me, I would still be living in Michigan, where I had friends and an amazing Sai family. I would still be loved and needed and important. I would still have a life. Or so I thought.

Leaving was really hard. I never thought that the day would come. I felt like I was going on a long vacation. I was not leaving Michigan permanently, just temporarily. Then we landed in Dallas. As I looked around the city, I realized that I was in a place just as beautiful as Michigan. It was the opposite of what I imagined it to be. It had friendly people and adventures around every corner. I realized that my worst fear had come true. I loved Dallas, almost as much as Michigan. I prayed to Swami, wishing that this was all a dream. But, I knew that I wasn’t going to see my wish the moment I opened my eyes.

The first day of school was unlike any other. I walked into a school of the friendliest people I could ever know. Nobody cared if you were rich or poor, if you were smart or not. They liked you for who you really were.

That was when I realized that this was what Swami wanted for me. He wanted me to be happier. He wanted this, only because it was the best thing for me. Now I believe that Swami has a reason for everything. He makes things happen, only because he loves us.

- Samyukta Warrier, SSE Group III (Sai Center, Dallas, TX)

Lessons I Learned about Truth…

For the first four weeks we have been discussing about the human value-Truth in my SSE class. We had different sub-values each week relating to Truth.

On the first week I learned that there are two types of truth: worldly truth and spiritual truth.

Worldly truth changes with time whereas, the spiritual truth is unchanging.

Our sub value for the first week was Curiosity – the quest for knowledge. We learned that only when we have curiosity that will lead us to gain knowledge. We also read the story about the famous Scientist, Isaac Newton.

Our sub-value for the second week was Speech. We first had a discussion about speech and how to speak. My teacher told us to speak the truth, speak it clearly and with confidence. She also told us the quote from Swami, “Don’t tell the truth when it is unpleasant”.

We learned that our audience screens our message through our body and facial expression, eye contact, language and location. So, therefore, I learned that we should speak appropriate to the situation.

Our third and last sub value was Acceptance. Our teachers explained to us the importance of acceptance and, how to accept the truth. They also told us if anyone corrects us by telling us the truth we should accept it and correct ourselves.

After learning about truth for four weeks, I feel guilty if I tell a lie and most of all; I have been trying to be truthful.

- Priyadarshini, SSE Group II







SSE Alumni’s Reflection…

Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshvaraha Gurur Sakshat Parabrahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha.

I offer my humble pranams at the lotus feet of the ultimate guru, my beloved Bhagawan. Firstly, I would like to thank Swami and my wonderful SSE teachers for giving me this opportunity to write an article for the international educare conference as an alumnus.

I have been extremely fortunate to be influenced by Bhagawan and his divine teachings since my birth. My parents were the main reason that I have had the privilege of knowing Swami at such a young age. Their unwavering and steadfast faith in Swami as well as what they taught me have strongly impacted my life. With their loving support and guidance, I began salvias at the tender age of 5. In group I, the class would always commence with several shlokas, and thereafter, we would enact stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata in order to enforce the lessons learned from these great epics. Before I knew it, I began Group II. Our homework enabled us to pick a sub value under the main value for that month and make a dedicated effort to practice it through simple acts in our homes or at school. Group II guided me to take simple teachings and implement them in any situation I came across. Group III was the most intense last three years of SSE really made me think about who I was as a person and how I could improve my character as an individual. The teachers who guided me through this process made me think outside the box and gave me new twists on any aspects in my life. They took obstacles we would have to face in the “real world” like activity management, public speaking presentations and critical thinking skills and made mini-workshops every week. This helped our class understand and grasp the concepts well so that they would be of service in the future.

In the transition from high school to college, I wasn’t sure how to handle the obstacles I faced. I met people of various cultures and backgrounds and I was faced with many doubts: how to discriminate from the type of people I wanted to associate myself with, how to manage my activities efficiently, and how to know that Swami was really there for me throughout these challenges. I thought back to SSE and realized this was the perfect time to implement all these teachings. I finally recognized that the values SSE has instilled in me will not leave me. They are exactly like Swami – forever there to guide me. My involvement now with the Young Adult group has made me aware of what a strong and necessary foundation Sathya Sai Spiritual Education has given me to face any situation in my life. From learning about the lessons learned in epics and implementing teachings in Group I and II, to using critical thinking in order to implement and find a deeper meaning in Group III, SSE has really shaped me as a person. I will forever be grateful to my dear parents, teachers, and Bhagawan for instilling this precious values and teachings in me through SSE.

- Ahimsa Govender SSE Class of 2004

Michigan State University




SAI Word Search

C C L N S V S E C C C E T N I T E H T G S R E A E

E H C N N C H C R N R T L R E C V T T T E T T E E

I C A E I E I I A E T I E O I C C E R G S R S E I

G N G R C V U E O U T A G E V S T E I S U T H I O

I F T L A D R S V R I V E H I E R E S S C S H N T

H P O E S C N R I T E N F C T N E S T T E D E E T

E E R R G A T I V E N S E E N C S A R E T O U C R

G T I R E R I E N T I R P N E E O R C T G C R T H

P I E N T C I T R D O U U E V C L N E I T V N U C

S C R H T R A T R L T T L E C T T O D T A U A T S

L E T D R E O E Y T E I T R R T A P I U T S T T H

S T L I S H S E P H E T U E S V Y R I V C T H I E

E T R N P E T A T N N U O I T T N E I T N T R N D

H E T S H I A T S Y C T O N T V S I O O A O R C E

L R E C E T V I H T C C R E R V R I E A L N N L R

S P S H S C I R E O V I R C L E R R E P E S H V N

E E H I A N N A R R T V C T S R E V C G T T A T T

H C S R A C N I F S T C O A A E R E R A U E V I E

C T T F N I L S T T T L S H A R R H Y R L T G S E

T C E S S T L R O T L R E R O R T V T I T C R L R

R V T I H T T T H I H C T A L V F T I E O T L T I

T R E I I N O T A E C E R L A T R E P C I T N T F

C T L H E A S E A U T E C O C T E R I F E T E S O

L R R A R R N T E E H T O I T N R A N I C T C G E

H E U R A R S N A R E T T Y I Y C C V E U T T A N

truth peace nonviolence Right conduct

love faith Sai character

integrity respect trust service







Children’s’ Art Work…




- Vishnu Kannan, SSE Group II - Sunanda Adibhatla, SSE Group II

- Ananda Adibhatla, SSE Group II

Documents

SSE Newsletter Issue 7 23Nov08 - saidetroit.org Matters/SSE Newsletter_Issue 7_23Nov08.pdfothers, stretching the truth, deceiving others, and of course, ... I love playing Mridangam