January 2025

Dearest Brothers and Sisters,

Jai Sai Ram!

I pray that with Bhagawan’s Grace, you are all keeping well.

As we begin this sacred and auspicious Centenary year of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, let us pause to reflect on the immense love, guidance, and wisdom He has showered upon us and also His divine message of Love, Service, and Self-realisation.

The year ahead is not just a marking of time, but also an opportunity to deepen our connection with Swami’s teachings and rededicate ourselves to His mission of spreading universal love and harmony.

Bhagawan has always reminded us, “Love all, serve all” and “Help ever, hurt never.” These eternal truths guide us toward a life of purity, purpose, and peace. In this milestone year, let us strengthen our resolve to live by these principles, making every action an offering to Him.

May we, as His devotees, unite as instruments of His love, serving the world selflessly and uplifting those in need. Let every prayer, every service, and every moment reflect our gratitude to Swami, who continues to inspire and guide us. Let us dedicate this year to inner transformation and the collective upliftment of society. By practising unity in thought, word, and deed, we can honour His legacy and make our lives His message.

We have our annual National Office Bearers and Active Workers Conference coming up on Saturday 1st February at The Hariben Bachubhai Nagrecha Hall in Stratford. I encourage and kindly request all Office Bearers and Active Workers to register as soon as possible.

At the Conference, there will be information on Organisational developments, National Wing updates, interactive discussions on what the Organisation offers each one of us to develop our spirituality, and the opportunity to hear from members as to what they seek from the Organisation to help them in their spiritual growth.

There will be news on key events planned for the year and information on Centenary celebrations, such as the Nepal medical camp and Zonal pilgrimage.

May this New Year bring peace, joy, and spiritual fulfilment to you and your loved ones. Let us move forward with the prayer that our lives may shine as beacons of His message, spreading love and light in the world.

Lovingly, in Sai service

Pratap Thakkar

The National Council of the United Kingdom is delighted to announce the upcoming UK and European (Zone 6) Centenary Pilgrimage 2025 to our spiritual home, Prasanthi Nilayam!

We invite all devotees across the UK to join this sacred pilgrimage, ‘100 Years of Pure Love.'

• Dates: 28th July - 3rd August (arrive latest 26th July, orientation meeting taking place Sunday 27th July.
• Registration deadlines:
  • Bal Vikas children and their parents: 28th February
  • Those interested in taking part in other offerings (e.g. music, Vedam): 28th February
  • Other devotees: 30th April

It will be mandatory for the group to stay within the ashram and to attend the pre-pilgrimage sadhana meetings.

Please visit our website for further details of the pilgrimage.

Shakti Swaroopas,

Are you ready to continue nurturing the Shakti within in 2025?

As we continue on this empowering and divine journey, let's be our best selves for Swami's Centenary year so that we can make our lives His message.

The Sai Shakti series of satsangs continues with Topic 5 on Discrimination and Discernment. To know who we truly are, we must be able to discriminate between the real and unreal, between the temporary and eternal, between doing what is best for our spiritual path versus what is expected of us in the worldly sense and take action from that wisdom. We will explore how to make decisions that serve our highest good as Shakti swaroopas and how important discernment is on the spiritual path.

The pre-reading will be sent out on Wednesday 15th January to those who register, followed by the live satsang on Wednesday 29th January at 8pm.

To register please fill in the form via the link below.

Remember you can still be a part of this series even if you have not been involved previously.

With Bhagawan's divine blessings, and as a part of the Centenary Celebrations of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, there will be a Sri Sathya Sai Satamanam Visva Santhi Loka Kalyana Ati Rudra Maha Yagnam performed at the Sai Kulwant Hall at Prashanthi Nilayam, from 14th to 25th February.

All devotees from around the world are welcome to the yagnam. The yagnam will be telecast live worldwide for everyone to follow and participate in the proceedings.

We cordially invite all Sri Sathya Sai Global Council members globally to participate in the first-ever Ashtottara Sahasra Sayishwara Lingarchana, to be held at Prasanthi Nilayam on 17th February.

The offering, which forms a part of the centenary celebrations, will involve the worship of 108 configurations of 1,116 Lingas, each centred around a representation of Bhagawan.

Registration is required for the 1,796 devotees who will participate in this Archana. Kindly register yourselves and your family members using the link below.

You are all welcome to participate in this wonderful event at the Supreme Abode of our Beloved Lord, Prasanthi Nilayam.

For additional information, please contact pnc@sssglobalcouncil.org

The devotees of Sri Sathya Sai Organisation CIO gathered in Farnborough, Hampshire, to celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, with a programme filled with carols, plays, and festive cheer.

The traditional service of nine carols and readings formed the heart of the morning programme, with a beautiful choir singing carols, interspersed with readings of the Nativity. Chaplain David Betts led this reflective and uplifting morning service, setting a reverent tone for the celebrations.

The afternoon programme was dedicated to a series of heartfelt performances and talks by the Bal Vikas children and other members of the Organisation.

Tunbridge Wells Group presented a thought-provoking play following Sam, a teenager navigating the deeper meaning of Christmas and searching for its true spirit. Brother Dipak Fakey then delivered an insightful talk on dementia, shedding light on an important issue affecting many families. Harrow West Centre children shared their perspectives on the profound connection between Jesus Christ and Sri Sathya Sai Baba, illustrating how their teachings align in love and service. Brother Jayesh Patel highlighted key moments from the recent Nepal Medical Camp, showcasing the spirit of selfless service in action. Farnborough Centre beautifully brought the Nativity story to life, reminding everyone of the timeless message of Christmas.

The children then led the audience in joyous Christmas songs, filling the hall with warmth and festive spirit. And finally, to the delight of all, especially the little ones, Santa Claus made a surprise appearance, bringing gifts and smiles to end the day on a truly magical note. The event was a perfect blend of devotion, reflection, and festive joy, bringing a renewed sense of love, faith, and unity in the spirit of Christmas.

A total of 135 listeners, comprising of Sai Anveshana participants and others, dialled in for a speaker session on Prema Vahini, led by Dr. Sasidhar Siddabattuni. Dr. Siddabattuni, who serves at the Sri Sathya Sai Centre for Human Values (a unit of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam), focusses on researching Swami’s literature and conducting spiritual workshops. Currently, his team is working on updating the Vahini series to ensure the translated editions remain true to Swami’s original Telugu writings.

Listeners were blessed to receive a concise yet profound summary of Prema Vahini, the very first book personally written by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Over the past three months, Sai Anveshana participants have been deeply engaged in reading Prema Vahini, holding study circles within their groups to reflect on Swami’s teachings. This session provided valuable insights, clarifying key aspects of the text and offering participants the opportunity to ask questions.

By the end of the two-hour session, we all departed with a renewed understanding of Bhagawan’s fundamental teachings, feeling inspired and energised to continue this journey of self-discovery as we move forward to the next Vahini.

If you would like to be involved, or find out more about this initiative please email the team via the link below, and visit our Instagram page.

In December 2024, Sri Lanka faced devastating floods that claimed lives and displaced thousands across the nation. Responding to this urgent need, Merton Sai Centre undertook to coordinate a UK-wide emergency relief effort, to assist the most affected communities in northern Sri Lanka.

With Bhagawan's grace, and the generous support of devotees in the UK, 3 grants totalling £3,024 have been made to the Sri Sathya Sai Overseas Organisation (SSSOO) in Sri Lanka, for the purchase of essential supplies, including dry rations. 360 families in total, across 7 villages, have benefitted from this generosity, receiving much-needed relief as they struggle to rebuild their lives.

The relief work will soon extend to eastern Sri Lanka, where communities are also facing the aftermath of the floods. 

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to everyone for their generosity in making this relief effort possible. Together, we can continue to bring hope and comfort to those in need. Should any one wish to participate in this service please email the Service Wing or merton@srisathyasai.org.uk.

With the grace and blessings of our beloved Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, a UK medical camp will take place in Nepal. The camp will be held in Bharatpur, Pokhara and Siddarthnagar, from 24th March to 1st April. We have a team of 48 medical and healthcare professionals who have registered and sacrificed their precious time for this selfless service. Due to local limitations, we have a small team of 16 general volunteers joining the group. We are expecting to serve some 4,000 patients over the three camps. The medical team will be sourcing all the medications, reading glasses, hygiene products etc.

“You are all educated persons, experienced in many fields of activity, equipped with many skills and capabilities. You are animated by genuine enthusiasm to help others. You are encouraged by the example of other clubs to take up many schemes which will benefit the community. These are great assets. Heart has to meet heart, so that service may succeed. Speak soft and sweet; be soft and sweet. Speak with sympathy and with no pretence, no artificiality. Keep away from impure listening, impure acts, impure words, impure thoughts —everything that contaminates the will to serve and the skill to serve.”

Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 5, Ch. 51, 4th November 1965

Alongside the medical camp, arrangements for Narayan Seva have been made, where we will be providing food for all the patients and their accompanying chaperones (approximately 7,000) that will be availing the services of the camp.

We have also committed to offer school uniform, slippers, and pullovers for 50 Bal Vikas children at a local Sai school, as well as distributing blankets (thick quilts) and fruit tree saplings to 200 socially and financially underprivileged residents of Shyanme.

There are also plans for additional service activities such as supporting a local school with some much-needed equipment, but this will be dependent on resources.

As always, we have received several queries from devotees who are unable to attend the medical camp, asking how they can support this precious service. The opportunity is available to all members irrespective of whether they join the camp or not:

“What is the meaning of “Ceiling on Desires”? Man is deluded by his unlimited desires. He is living in a dream world. He is forgetting the Supreme Consciousness. That is why it is important to keep our desires under control, to place a ceiling on them. We are spending too much money. Instead of inordinate spending for our own pleasure, we should be spending for the relief of the poor and needy. This is the real meaning of “Ceiling on Desires.”

If any member wishes to participate in these offerings through the practice of “ceiling on desires”, please kindly contact your Centre/Group President and/or Centre Service Coordinator for further details.

Alternatively, please send an email to the Service Wing via the link below.

Background

Sri Sathya Sai Ideal Healthcare is based on sound medical practice and a driving realisation that the patient is divine along with five guiding principles: Universal; Free; Compassionate; Comprehensive; and Preventive for an enhanced and healthy life.

The Sri Sathya Sai National Healthcare Committee was set up in September 2019 and comes under the Medicare stream of the National Service Wing. Its aim is to facilitate the delivery of all healthcare service activities under the auspices of the Organisation in a well-coordinated manner in four main ways:

• UK healthcare activities
• Overseas medical camps
• Medical rotations at international Sai hospitals
• Medical and non-medical volunteers for medical camps during Guru Poornima and Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s birthday celebrations in Prasanthi Nilayam

Health and wellbeing webinars

In 2020, due to the global pandemic, all planned healthcare activities were stopped. In response, the Health and Wellbeing Series Webinars started on 3rd November 2020 as an offering for Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on His 95th birthday. The webinars have covered a wide range of health topics. Having covered about forty webinars over the last two years.

UK healthcare activities

In addition to the healthcare webinars, the following activity has taken place:

• several health awareness events have been offered at centres, with vital sign checks and talks on various health topics
• 13 units of blood, potentially saving up to 39 lives, were donated in 2023; and around 40 blood donation sessions were held in 2024
• providing psychological support to the staff members of the Bridge homeless charity in Leicester (we are looking for any psychiatrists, psychologist or community psychiatric nurses to join in this project)
• regular dental clinics by devotees at the Bridge, specifically targeting the homeless population
• in August 2024, devotees provided essential first aid coverage at the Shree Ghanapathy Temple’s chariot festival, demonstrating a commitment to community well-being and emergency preparedness
• in September 2024, 22 devotees participated in a seven-mile walk around Richmond Park as part of a regional wellness Initiative to encourage physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.

Overseas medical camp

A UK medical camp and grama seva was undertaken on 15-18 July 2024, serving three remote villages near Puttaparthi that do not have ready access to medical treatment. A total of 1,511 visitors were seen by 38 healthcare professionals, supported by 42 general volunteers.

Medical camps in Prasanthi Nilayam

In close collaboration with the International medical team, both Prasanthi Nilayam camps were well supported last year by medics and healthcare professionals (HCPs), as well as general volunteers from the UK: about 17 HCPs and 18 volunteers participated in the July camp and about 11 HCPs registered for the November camp.

Conclusion

The evolving healthcare landscape can be challenging specially post pandemic necessitating continuous adaptation and innovation, but with Swami’s blessings, we hope that healthcare professionals within the United Kingdom will be inspired and avail themselves of this glorious opportunity to serve in His divine healthcare mission of promoting health and wellbeing for all both domestically and internationally.

Medicine and divine grace are like negative and positive, respectively. Diseases can be cured only when these two come together. So, along with taking medicines, one should also pray for divine grace.

Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 34, Ch. 2, 19th January 2001

For the welfare of the country and of the entire world, the spirit of service, vital enthusiasm, constructive imagination, pure motivation, and unselfish alertness are all needed urgently.

Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 15, Ch. 31, 19 November 1981

The purpose of the Young Adults Wing is to serve the whole Organisation, whilst supporting the spiritual journey of the next generation. Thus, it is the duty of the Young Adults to be of service, not only to their fellow brothers and sisters across the nation, but also to the world from which they merely borrow. This series of articles captures a snippet of the service activities supported by Young Adults across the UK, in the hope of inspiring others.

In this issue, we read reflections from Sister Kawita Gurung from Region 6 and her involvement in her local “99 Years of Pure Love for Swami” Regional birthday celebrations.

This year, Region 6 held an exhilarating regional celebration of Swami’s 99th birthday. Devotees from every corner of the region united with unmatched enthusiasm to prepare for this monumental occasion, with the excitement beginning six months prior to the big day! As part of the vibrant Regional Young Adults team, I had the privilege of playing a pivotal role in planning and executing every detail alongside my fellow Young Adults.

From realising a stunning altar for Swami, to selecting the perfect fabric for His majestic throne, the feeling was truly extraordinary. All tasks, from scouting the ideal venue, to ensuring the most delectable prashadam items were generously provided, fostered a deep sense of community and camaraderie, as we witnessed the unity towards Divinity that Swami always teaches. All work was approached with passion, and the palpable love for Swami shone through in every act, whether big or small.

As a small team from a small region, undertaking the monumental service of hosting 200 attendees of all ages and filling the venue with joy and devotion was achieved solely by Swami’s divine grace. We must have done some good deeds in our past lives to serve the Lord, the indweller of all, on His birthday.

The Young Adults were the dynamic force that fuelled the infectious energy of the celebration. Everything came together beautifully, showcasing Swami’s boundless grace.

This day is beautifully etched in my heart, and I will always fondly reminisce about being able to lend my helping hands in small ways. Personally, I remain awestruck by the incredible work we accomplished together. I can vouch for my fellow Region 6 Young Adults that we are ever grateful and humbled at His Lotus feet for the love and golden opportunities He has bestowed upon us.