SRI SATHYA SAI BABA BOOK AND INFORMATION CENTRE
290 Merton Street, Toronto, Ontario M4S 1A9 Canada

Aum Sri Sai Ram!

We are happy to inform you that devotees in Toronto region will be celebrating the 75th birthday of Swami at the Sir John McDonald collegiate in Scarborough on October 14th. We are also happy to announce that Swami is planning to have a big celebration of yet another Super Specialty Hospital in Bangalore, India on November 6th.  The Prime Minister of India will be attending the function.  In fact a new book titled Inspired Medicine has just been published which contains a description by eighteen physicians how Sai Baba lit a flame of inspiration in their medical practice.  We have finally received copies of the two long awaited books – Summer showers 1995 & Sathya Sai Speaks – volume 30.  Before we move on to the detailed reviews let us give you a sneak preview of three new books.

Inspired Medicine tells us how Sathya Sai has influenced and changed the practice of medicine for 18 physicians and how He has transformed their relationship with their patients, transformed them as doctors and how they experience Sai Baba’s hand in their practice.  Price: CAD$19.95;USD$14.00

Love is my form contains many unique and previously unpublished photographs of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and objects materialized by Him.  The text contains first-hand accounts by schoolmates and intimate stories of devotees, giving a rare glimpse of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai through those who had the precious opportunity to be close to Him in the early years.  Price: CAD$120.00;USD$84.00

A comprehensive life sketch of Shree Shirdi Sai Baba contains the childhood story and leelas (divine sport) of the previous incarnation of Lord Sai.  This is being presented to you after long research, compiling hundreds of leelas in a beautiful order.  Some leelas, which have not been presented so far in any language, have been collected from devotees who were alive during the Shirdi Sai incarnation.  Bhagavan Baba has revealed to His devotees the childhood story of His previous incarnation.  Price: CAD$19.95;USD$14.00

DHARMA VAHINI – THE PATH OF VIRTUE AND MORALITY
As promised in our previous issue of this newsletter we are now featuring another writing entitled Dharma Vahini by Sathya Sai Baba.  Originally written in Telugu by Sai Baba, it has been translated into English by late Prof. N.  Kasturi.  Swami has explained in this book the real meaning of Dharma and its various principles.  Swami has stated that Dharma in the present world is endangered.  So he has given guidelines in this book for both men and women for leading harmonious lives so that they may become the pillars of strength for upholding Dharma.  He has given the inner significance of various rituals and practices such as worship in the temples & the structure of the temple, the caste system, Namasmarana (chanting of the name of the lord) and some other practices which are either misunderstood or considered outdated or practised without being aware of their inner sense.  All can benefit by the writings in this book as Baba has exemplified Dharma, which is not restricted to any particular society, nation or religion.  This is a great book for teenagers, couples and parents who want to lead an ideal life in order to acquire real peace.  Price: CAD$1.50; US$1.10

NAMASMARANA – CHANTING THE NAME OF THE LORD – Review by Vani Madgal
As Baba has mentioned in His Dharma vahini the importance of chanting the name of the lord, we would like to tell you about this booklet titled Namasmarana, which is a garland of extracts from the discourses of Sathya Sai Baba.  The whole book consists of paragraphs of sayings by Sai regarding the significance, power and fruition and the right method of doing Namasmarana and Namasankirthana (singing the name of the lord).  The book begins by extracts from Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism on Namasmarana.  It contains empowering and inspiring words of our beloved Sai persuading us to chant the name of the lord constantly so that the mind shall always be tuned up to the thought of God, whatever we may be doing even when we are engrossed in worldly life and activities.  CAD$1.00;USD$0.70

MODERN HINDUS IN SEARCH OF TRAC – Review by Bawaani Durayrajah
This is a book by Sivalalita Manickavasagar about how to celebrate south Indian festivals in a traditional manner.  TRAC in the title is an abbreviation for Tradition, Religion, Aspiration & Culture.  A point worth mentioning here is that the author despite being a foreign born and educated youth, has successfully explained in simple terms these age-old festivals.
The book explains, especially to youth and young adults, the inner significance of various Hindu festivals and how to observe them in your own home.  It covers a wide range of festivals and poojas that occur all year round such as Pongal, Shivarathiri, Hindu New year, Chitra Pournami, Deepavali, Karthikai Deepam, etc.  For each festival, the author gives a background and describes the methodology on how to celebrate the said festival.  For instance, did you know that the festival Chitra Pournami is also a day of remembrance and grateful prayer for loved ones who have passed away?  Did you also know that on Deepavali, it is auspicious to have oil bath...

The book also contains excerpts taken from talks by various people, which I find very interesting.  The appendix also contains illustrations of step-by-step instructions on how to set up a Kumbum, etc.  I found this book to be very informative and encourage all Hindus, especially Hindu parents to use this book to explain to their children why we celebrate and observe some of the festivals and poojas.  Price: CAD$11.00;USD$7.70

LOKANATHA SAI - Review by Linda Pitura
This is a remarkable and lovely book written by an individual who had the opportunity to experience Sai Baba in this life in a most intimate manner.  Miss Leela has written this book as a devotee who wants to spread the message of Sai by sharing with the world her recollections of his actions within her life and that of her family over the years.  Her perspective is most valuable, as she has had Sai Baba’s grace and attention since the very early days in the 1940’s.  Her father Sri M.J.  Loganada Mudaliar was the founder, with Sai Baba’s direction, of the Sri Sathya Sai Mandir, in Guindy, Madras.  This is the first Sai Baba Temple to have come into existence, and under such auspicious circumstances as Sathya Sai Baba laid the foundation stone himself!
Miss Leela’s stories of Baba as a young man during the initial years of his career reveal just how intimately associated early devotees were with the avatar.  Given the current circumstances, when it is well nigh impossible to have access to Him, we see just how blessed Miss Leela and her family are to have been able to consort with Sai Baba so closely.  Miss Leela, of her own choice, led a life of study and reclusion, rejecting the option of marriage, so she could devote her life to pursuits of the mind and spirit.  Sai Baba hand-groomed her life in order to keep her within his protection, and in the most remarkable ways.  He helped to steadily advance her chosen career in Botany.  He designed to have her awarded with a post of Professor and Head of the Department of Botany, helping her to bring the field to women’s colleges for the first time ever, by employing Leela at the Government Arts College for Women, North Madras.  Also, he awarded her with the responsibility of running the Guindy temple after her father passed away.

Aside from all the joy and the miracles that Miss Leela had occasion to experience, she also had her fair share of hardships, from great physical afflictions to dangerous encounters with unscrupulous people.  Sai Baba was always there to assist and modify the circumstances as he could, but he was sure that she knew the karmic significance of her traumas, and indeed the necessity of her experiences.

This is a wonderful book for anyone who wants to see into the very core of a devotee’s experience, and also, to know something more of the local history surrounding the life of Sathya Sai Baba.  A lovely bonus is the inclusion of many bhajans, prayers and metaphysical information throughout the body of the book.  Price: CAD$5.75:USD$4.00

UNLEASHING THE POWER OF HUMAN MIND - Review by Sanjay Madgal
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 (and mine) 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".  Price: CAD$9.95;USD$7.00

TEE SHIRTS FOR SALE
Polo shirts in white, embroidered with orange coloured Sarva Dharma logo in sizes Large and extra Large.  Price: CAD$10.00;USD$7.00 & Tees in round neck style with the Sathya Sai School logo in sizes Small, Medium & Large.  Price:  CAD$8.00;USD$5.60

CDs & AUDIOS – NEW RELEASE
Sundaram Bhajans Volume - 7 on CD.  Price: CAD$ 12.00 US $ 8.40 & Sundaram Bhajans Volume 50 & 51 on audiocassette.  Price:CAD$ 4.00;USD$2.80

Jai Sai Ram!

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