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A Report filed by Bombay Srinivasan
SRI SATHYA SAI SEVA ORGANIZATIONS, MUMBAI KANDIVALI, BORIVALI, DAHISAR
SAMITHI
SARVA DHARMA RALLY & SARVA DHARMA PRAYER
MEETING FOR WORLD PEACE
On Sunday, 27th November 2005
Venue: Don Bosco Tech. Training
Institute Vazira Naka, BORIVALI west, Mumbai.
As part of celebrations of 80th year Advent of Bhagavan
Sri Sathya Sai Baba, a World Conference of Sri Sathya Sai Organizations
was held at Prashanthi Nilayam from 19th to 21st November 2005. The theme
of the conference was to spread the Divine Message of Unity, Purity, &
Divinity. A programme on par with the theme of the conference, i.e., Unity
among Religions, was organized in Mumbai by Sri Sathya Sai Seva
Organizations, Borivali Samithi.
On the 27th November, the Samithi organized a mammoth Sarva Dharma Rally,
and a Sarva Dharma Prayer meeting. In a well-attended Rally more than 1500
persons participated. The Rally passed through important streets of
Borivali. The remarkable feature of this rally was that hundreds of youth
drawn from nearby educational institutions participated enthusiastically.
Each one was carrying a placard bearing messages of Bhagavan Baba
appropriate to the theme of the Rally. A large contingent of Balvikas
children, dressed up as per traditions of various religions, formed part
of the rally.
The Rally, after one hour, culminated in the campus of Don Bosco Boys
Technical Institute, in Vazira Naka, Borivali, where a seminar cum prayer
meeting had been arranged. The following eminent persons spoke on their
Religious beliefs and lead all the participants in their religious
prayers.
Father Steve Rodriigues - Represented Christianity.
Brahmacharini Vividisha Chaitanya - Represented Hinduism.
Br. Ather Mohmmed Khan - Represented Islam.
Ervad Ariz Panthki - Represented Parsee Community.
Sardar Harsiman Singh - Represented Sikhism.
Sri Nimish Pandya, District President of Sri Sathya Sai Seva
Organizations, Mumbai inaugurated the Prayer meeting by lighting the
Sacred Lamp.
Sri. Pratap Thakkar, a member of Sri Sathya Sai Trust, Maharashtra State,
anchored the Prayer Meeting and welcomed the Chief speakers and all the
other people who had gathered on the occasion. He introduced the chief
guests and invited them, one by one, to take the mike.
The message from Father Steve Rodrigues (The rector of Don Bosco School)
The Christian scholar said that the greatest message that the holy bible
has given is to love your neighbour. The Father symbolized the Love both
in vertical form and in the horizontal form. The love towards Lord is
always eternal and is marked as vertical one. Another aspect of the Love
directed to our neighbours, which is marked as Horizontal. Rev. Father
beautifully illustrated that when these two directions of LOVE i.e.
vertical and horizontal ones are combined, the sign of Holy Cross emerges.
When the soul, the heart and mind are all saturated with Love, it becomes
Divine. He asserted that one should be prepared to lay down his life for
the sake of The Lord and Thy Neighbour.
The father then read out prayers from Bible and encouraged the audience to
repeat every line after him.
Brahmacharini Vividisha Chaitanya from Chinmaya Mission:
Sister Vividisha dealt at length about the basics of Hinduism. She started
her discourse chanting "OM" three times. She clarified that the sound OM
is visiting card to Divinity. The Omkaram is recited before every
ritualistic chanting. There is logic in every ritual as per Hindu
religion. Like in all religions Prayer are important factor. Why do we
pray? Basically it is cleansing the mind, the Chitha. How do we achieve
world peace? The world is like a big mansion. The Mansion is built by
using so many bricks. Unless the bricks are strong the building cannot
last long. The individuals in the society are like bricks. Every
individual should have purity in Heart and Love emanating. Then the World
at large will be peaceful. The prayer time is the good time in the life.
Those whom we consider are bad characters deserve our Love very much. She
mentioned about the example of a saint. There were many disciples for the
saint. While every one of them good natured, only one among them was a bad
character. The good ones suggested that Guruji should throw out that bad
character from the Ashram. Then the Guruji replied that all the Good ones
can leave the ashram since they are already very good. He told that it was
the so-called bad one who needed much care and attention and that if he
was thrown out, he will be helpless in the outer world. Sister was
highlighting this story to emphasize the point that we should Love
everybody irrespective of their background or character. It is our duty to
extend our Love to Every one. The True Love is like fragrance which
envelopes everyone in the vicinity.
Ather Mohammed Khan (A research scholar from the Islamic research
foundation)
Brother Khan exclaimed that the word love had been very frequently used in
the Holy Koran. The Love is the underlying factor of the Religion of
Islam. The unsullied Love brings Peace in the humanity at large. In Koran,
"Islam" means "Peace". Even if you hurt any one or kill any one it is
equivalent to killing the whole of humanity. Likewise if you save even a
single one, it is like saving the entire humanity. Anyone who submits
himself to God's WILL, is a true Muslim. Know that God is only one, He is
absolute and eternal. There is nothing like HIM in the world. God is Only
ONE, has no parents or relatives. God is unborn. Such a God Loves one who
loves all neighbours and friends. While offering Namaz, the Muslims sit in
neat rows touching each other's shoulders, indicating the closeness of
brotherhood. It is so because there should not any space between us to
enable any devil enter places between your friends. Here he mentioned, the
devil means, the evil qualities in men like hatred, anger, jealousy etc.
Mr. Khan then recited prayers which are being recited during Namaz, and he
requested everybody to repeat the English translation of those verses.
Ervad Ariz Panthki - Represented Parsee Community
Mr. Panthki, spoke about Zuarashtratism. He said,
Human vices like arrogance, ego, false, pride, revenge, anger and contempt
have down the ages fuelled friction, conflict, enmity and war between
cities countries and peoples. Even two horrific and devastating World Wars
later, man seams to have forgotten the lessons of history and yet again
stands on the brink of self-destruction.
At this juncture I would like to quote a few lines from the poem:
MANS VANITY & PRIDE
War clouds dark and scary are spewing death once again
All because of leaders who are fanatic and insane.
Towards religion and God we must all return
Failing which in a nuclear inferno we shall burn.
Religion plays an important role in inculcating the duties and
responsibilities by imbibing the teachings ethics and morals in every
individual right since an early age.
Zoroastrianism gives a fivefold path of virtues and morals, which lead to
the Perfection of each individual finally leading to the salvation of the
soul. This is the end goal of human beings according to all religions.
This is one message, which is common to all religions and unites all men.
Further all religions have shown their own distinct paths by which mankind
can progress. Though these paths seem different in different religions
they have an underlying message of virtue, love and compassion once again
uniting men across religious borders.
The Five Fold Path Is Enshrined In Five Terms. Which Are Also The Names Of
Principle Divine Beings.
The First Aspect Is AHURA MAZDA. It emphasises the need for wisdom in
every action in life.
The Second Aspect Is VOHU MANAH. Which expects that whenever any action is
performed the greater good of mankind is to be kept in mind.
The Third Aspect Is ASHA VAHISHTA. It states that right conduct that is
righteousness is necessary to understand the Divine Purpose of life and
man's role in it.
The Forth Aspect KSHATHRA VAIRYA. Emphasises the need for benevolent
discipline authority and leadership in bring out the best in all men for
whom we work. It underlines the need for compassion the person wielding
authority.
The Fifth And The Final Aspect is SPENTA ARMAITI. It underlines the need
for tenderness tolerance love and devotion. It is the aspect that tells
man to give, that he is born to give and not just to take.
When one lives these Five Basic Attributes, Divine Grace And Inherent
Qualities Grow Unnoticed. Peace is one such inherent quality, which grows
within a moral man. It cannot be forced down upon people.
Regarding this aspect it is said in the AVESTA:
Living with a mind which is free from vice, which is above pettiness,
which strives to practice virtue and which endeavors to align itself to
God, automatically leads one to a life of peace and harmony with all
creations.
Living with peace and harmony is not a state, which has to be worked for.
Once we work for the ideal of living a Nobel life of ethics and virtues,
our mind is automatically tuned to live in peace and harmony not only with
fellow humans but also with all living and non-living creations of the
world.
Sri Panthky then lead the audience with their prayer song rendered in
English
Sardar Harsimranji represented Sikhism. He said that there is a big
relation between love and religion. Any religion not spreading love
becomes egoistic and orthodox. All the 13 samhithas in Guru Granth Sahib
reflects the good qualities of Dharma and Prema. He narrated the story of
a student who took pain to feed a hungry poor low cast man finds highest
realm in the heaven. Any act of love illustrates highest form of devotion.
He cited various examples from mythologies. The devotee Sudhama was
feeling shy to give the beaten rice which he was trying to hide because he
was shy to offer the same to the Lord. But Lord Krishna insisted that he
wanted that precious gift from Sudhama. He also mentioned the devotion of
Sabari who was first tasting the fruit and then offered the same to Lord
Rama. He recited a stanza from a song, "Jho Prem kiya, Usko God Mila" He
exhorted that "Call Him by any Name, and He hears, because God is ONE".
Unsullied Love shuns all violence. He complemented the organization for
taking the lead in arranging the Sarva Dharma Rally and Prayer, because
the message of LOVE should spread all over the world.
The Sarva Dharma Prayer meeting concluded with a Silent Prayer form World
Peace, followed by vote of thanks by Sri Pratap Thakker.
BLOOD DONATION.-- Practical demonstration --- Donation of Blood is "
Liquid Love".
A BLOOD DONATION CAMP was arranged in the same venue, in association with
TATA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BLOOD BANK and KEM HOSPITAL BLOOD BANK, two large
hospitals in the city of Mumbai had come with all utilities and
specialized staff to receive the donated blood.
Many participants who had gathered during the Rally and prayer meeting
offered their Blood. Everybody knew that the Blood donation was a Noble
act of SEVA, and cheerfully came forward to donate their blood. Though
more than 250 people came forward to donate blood, many had to be rejected
since there were some medical and chemical problems. Ultimately 130
persons were accepted for donating their blood.
Donating blood is offering "Liquid Love". It is a unique way of Love in
action since, the Donor does not know to whom the blood is going; and the
recipient does not know who the Donor is.
The Media, both Print Media and various T.V. Channels covered the events
in a big way.
Sai Ram
With Love & Regards,
Bombay Srinivasan,
C-1, Silver Valley -2,
Shivaji Nagar,
Vakola, Santacruz East,
Mumbai-400055
Tel: 022-26684021
Cell: 093229 47473 |