In the pursuit of sensory pleasures man forgets his Divine origin. Man can redeem his life only when he understands where he has come from, what his role in life is, and what his destination is. 

The first thing man has to learn is the role of the sense organs (indriyas). The sense organs are termed maatras, meaning measuring instruments. For instance, the tongue measures the taste of what it eats, and the eye evaluates the form of what it sees. It will be noticed that a man with a fair face has a snub nose. The senses recognize the differences among various objects in terms of size, quality, etc. 

The senses indicate limits 
The senses have another function to discharge. They indicate to man the limits to which sensory objects should be used or enjoyed. Since the senses are God-given gifts, abuse of the senses by excess will not only mean transgressing divinely ordained limits but will also lead to many harmful consequences. Hence, everyone has to adhere to the appropriate limits prescribed for the use of the senses. For instance, take the case of nostrils. They are to be used for breathing purposes and for smelling fragrant objects and discarding foul-smelling objects. 

The respiratory process conveys a significant spiritual message when air is inhaled and exhaled. The message is contained in the mantra So-Ham (God-individual), which is also known as the Hamsa Gayatri [Swami demonstrated how the sound So... is produced during inhalation and Ham during exhalation.] "So Ham" conveys the message of identity between God (So) and the individual (Aham). This mantra contains the essence of nondualism (advaita). 

What happens when the nose that should be used for such sacred purposes is used for taking snuff? It is not merely abuse of the nose; it is also the cause of various respiratory diseases. Most ailments are the result of misuse of the sense organs for improper purposes. 

Everyone must use the senses properly 
Jayadeva rebuked men for not using their God-given tongue to chant the sweet and sacred name of the Lord. The tongue should be engaged only in speaking the truth, in speaking sweetly, and in consuming what is pleasant and wholesome for the body. Man degrades himself by consuming intoxicating drinks and non-vegetarian food and by indulging in smoking. These noxious habits also affect the brain. 

Saint Surdas lamented on the behavior of people who would not listen to the hymns of praise of God with their God-given ears or gaze on the beautiful form of the Lord with their God-given sight. People going on the road should concentrate on the road and not allow their eyes to stray on wall posters and shop windows. 

Everyone has to recognize the proper role of the sense organs and use them properly. In this context, it may be noted that different animals are victims to different kinds of sensory experiences. Deer are a prey to sound --the roar of a lion or other wild animal. The elephant is afraid of the touch of the keeper's goad. Insects are attracted by light or a flame and lose their lives. Fish are lured by the taste of the worm attached to the angler's hook. It is a pity that man, who possesses all five senses of perception (sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell), is a bond-slave to all of them. Thereby he forfeits his freedom. 

Secure real happiness by turning the senses toward God 
How, then, can man experience real happiness? Only by turning his senses toward God. Man has five senses of perception and five senses of action. The master for all these ten senses is the mind. The ten senses are like ten wives pulling the mind in different directions. It is difficult for the mind to control the senses. 

Man should realize that all pleasures derived from submission to the senses are momentary and leave a trail of suffering behind. He should realize that the senses are to be utilized for sacred purposes and the practice of human values. Only then will he understand the true purpose of human existence. The senses are gifted by God for humans to lead ideal lives. See good, think good thoughts, speak sweet words, and listen to what is good. Be good and do good. 

A young student who spoke earlier referred to Swami's advice to all of them to "speak less and work more". The ancient Indian sages practiced silence as a spiritual discipline because they realized the myriad benefits derived from silence (mounam). Swami Vivekananda learnt a valuable lesson when he found that after ten days of endless talk he had forgotten all the slokas he had learnt by heart. By practicing complete silence for a fortnight he got back his powers of memory. People should realize that God's grace is secured by the sacred use of the senses endowed on man by the Divine. 

Man is enveloped by five sheaths (kosas) --food, life-breath, meditation, awareness, and bliss (annamaya, praanamaya, manomaya, vijnaanamaya, and anandamaya). Modern man has been able to progress only up to the manomaya stage. He must strive to go beyond the mind up to the state of bliss. 

Swami's Discourse - Oct 6, 1997

The practice of spiritual surrender is a complete sadhana (spiritual path). It is sufficient by itself to ensure self-realization. Complete surrender requires a range of spiritual disciplines for its success. Control of the ego is essential, and with that control come humility and equanimity. Surrender requires faith and devotion to the Lord. Faith engenders fearlessness and devotion nurtures love for all God's creatures. Patience and effort contribute to the accomplishment. These qualities ensure a life of service to others.

At the end of our journey, we find that the goal was always within our reach. There was no other one to surrender to,  for our own nature is God. There is nothing to be known and nothing to be done. There is none other than God in all the wide creation.

The constant remembrance of God enables us to see God in all, for everything is the play of the Lord. When we remember the Lord always, we see him in all things. No more is required from us than sincere faith and patience. Surrender requires no special qualification or prerequisites -- just trust the Lord. 

This book is a compilation of newspaper articles written by Jagadeesan. It introduces the reader to the powerful art and science of controlling the mind through meditation. A complex topic such as meditation has been presented in a simple, easy to understand manner. The reader is engaged through the use of amusing anecdotes that everyone can relate to. 

In the first few chapters, the author provides a gentle introduction to the logical divisions of the human mind - the subconscious, the lower mind, the higher mind and the super conscious. He explains how, through meditation, our responses to external stimuli can be generated by the higher mind (human value based behaviour) as opposed to the lower mind (animal behaviour). He goes on to describe the different phases of meditation including concentration and contemplation. He urges everybody to practice the forgotten art of visual imagery. He is disappointed that younger generations have been robbed of this art due to the invasion of television into our homes. Chapter 6 offers useful tips for students to pass exams by leveraging the mind's power of concentration and contemplation. The last few chapters step the reader through different meditation techniques that if practiced regularly, help in unleashing the power of the human mind. 

Also included in the book are articles that discuss findings by leading medical researchers that have proven the beneficial effects of meditation on health and personality. 

This review would be incomplete without quoting the author's favourite excerpt from William Wordsworth's poem Daffodils. Go ahead and visualize the beautiful image that this poem projects and experience the pleasure of visual imagery! Imagine how much more powerful meditation can be!! 

"I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils. For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils". 
 

Last year I went to India for a trip.  First we went to Madras and then to Bangalore by train.  The train station was dirty and much more crowded than the train stations in Canada.  When we got on the train it was kind of clean.  The one part that I did not like about the train was the washrooms, because they were very dirty.  When we went to Bangalore we stayed overnight at the Taj and set out early the next morning by car to Puttaparthi.  It was a long drive, when we got there we were so tired that we went straight to our hotel, called the Sai Renaissance.  We checked in and went to our room. Our hotel was very clean and there was no TV. As we got dressed I was so excited because I was going to see Swami Sai Baba.

After we got dressed we got directions to the Ashram from the hotel front desk.  They told us that it was walking distance to the Ashram.  So we walked to the Ashram and got in the long line for the afternoon dharshan.  The dharshan hall was very pretty, it had colourful streamers all around it and the ceiling was gold.  We were too late to sit inside the hall but we still got to see Swami from an angle.  When Swami Sai Baba entered, my mother started crying.  I felt very happy and excited to see Swami in person.

After the dharshan was over I was kind of sad because I did not get the opportunity to give my letter to Swami.  But I felt better because my mother told me that there was a special mail box for all the letters to Swami, so we went to this mailbox and I dropped my letter off.  That night I had a dream of Swami who was in my house in Canada, it was a very cool dream, I woke up feeling very happy and peaceful.

The next morning we all woke up at 3 AM to go to the morning dharshan.  We thought we were early but there already was a long line up.  But we were able to sit inside the dharshan hall this time.  I got to see Swami again and it was more exciting than the last time.  My mother felt very happy this time and so did I.  When Swami entered we were all singing bhajans.  I felt very happy to participate.   After the dharshan was over my family and I went around Puttaparthi and saw some of the important places including the house that Baba used to live when he was young.

Finally, on the way back to Bangalore we saw the hospital built by Swami.  The hospital was shaped like the word OM in Sanskrit.  We looked around the hospital.  It was very clean and the people who worked there were very nice.  I found out that some doctors in Canada , USA and England come during their holidays and volunteer at the hospital.  When I grow up I want to become a doctor and during my holidays I would like to volunteer at Swami’s hospital too.  In conclusion, I would like to thank Swami for giving me this opportunity to visit him in Puttaparthi, also for allowing me to write this article about my experiences. I would like to go again and visit Swami in his ashram in Puttaparthi.

Scarborough Sai Centre conducts a FREE Math Tutorial Program for Grade 3 to 7  students to learn and understand various concepts of  Mathematics outlined in the Ontario curriculum developed by Ministry of Education & Training with a focus on human values. Classes are held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 pm to 8:00pm at the Woburn Collegiate (Rooms:130, 132, 134). All students who require help are encouraged to register. For enrolment or further information, please attend sessions held at Woburn C.I. on Wednesday evenings. 

October       1 Laksharchana
                 15 Regular Bhajan
                 29 Deepavali Bhajan

November 11 & 12  Akhand Bhajan
                 23 Baba's Birthday
                 26 Ladies Day

December 10 Regular Bhajan 
                 24 Christmas Bhajan 
                 30 Narayana Seva 
                 31 New Year's Eve Bhajan