The Art of Giving

Kick started the winter festivities at this month’s meeting, by wrapping the 40 presents which will be given to our friends, the residents of Elsley Court carehome this Christmas.  Each present was gifted by the members of our Youth Wing, we hope that they gain as much joy receiving them as we do giving them. With the festive season emphasising family and togetherness, the absence of such is accentuated, through our presents, we hope our friends at the care home, remember they are also apart of the OSBM Youth Wing family. 

This months meeting got us in the spirit of the holidays and whilst we wrapped the presents and wrote the christmas cards, we couldn’t help but ponder what lay ahead for the youth wing’s endeavours in 2020. 

Together, we discussed how we can be of greater service to our local community and identified specific areas of focus for the youth wing in the upcoming year. This led us to creating a list of seva projects we hope to make a reality, we aim to help all members of society, so watch this space! 2020 - the year to make a real difference! 

Pearls of Wisdom

Om Sharavanabhava 

Below is a compilation of quotes by our beloved Swami: 

'Internalise my words to eliminate chaos from your life.' 

'Convert your actions into offerings' 

'Work requires strength. Strength requires self-confidence! This is the weapon to negotiate the forest of worldly existence!' 

'Failure is easy but success is hard! Strive for victory!' 

'Strive hard to achieve self-realisation! We have taken birth only to accomplish that goal!' 

'Only with peace is there beauty.' 

'Live in the present. Avoid pondering on the future or the past.' 

'Nothing is impossible if we are grounded in wisdom.' 

'The love you display to other human beings is equal to your love to God.' 

'Tests are essential in life. Any sorrow is a test.' 

'Wisdom is an avenue to cleanse all.' 

'Our words must bring only love; solace and comfort; they must not cause injury to anyone.' 

  

'Human birth is meant to erase past mistakes and take the first step to salvation!'

'The potency of prayer is increased and heightened when it is performed collectively!'

'We should develop hunger for devotion and wisdom.' 

'Our happiness is our wealth.' 

'Dharma must be embedded in every action in our lives.' 

Satguru Sri Sharavanababa 

Mother's Day

What is Mother’s Day?

Mother’s Day is a day which we show appreciation to our mothers for all the good they do for us. It is a day in which today’s generation cherish their mothers with lots of flowers, chocolates, and gifts. However currently, Mother’s Day is actually becoming increasingly commercialised, a profitable day for business owners with companies generating income through the sales of Mother’s Day gifts, and novelty items as well as cards. Sometimes we can forget about the true essence of Mother’s Day believing it is sufficient to solely give our mothers a material gift. 

The true purpose of celebrating Mother’s Day is to give that one day of rest for our mothers as a thank you for doing everything for us, their children and to show our appreciation, which we can forget to show on a day to day basis. 

Ultimately Mother’s Day should be about us, as children, embracing our mothers with our love and not fully focused on material items. Instead the greatest gift for a mother would be her child’s presence and undivided attention. 

As Swami states “Respecting others is true devotion”, and respecting our mothers is one of the highest forms of devotion which is something we should remember every day, with our mothers being one of the four fundamental pillars of our lives. 

This Mother’s Day we had the beautiful opportunity to be in Swami’s presence in the UK and were able to receive Swami's motherly blessings. Many devotees perceive Swami as their mother with Swami constantly showering upon us all unconditional love, supporting us in times of need and guiding us through this world of Maya (illusion). 

A few of the many qualities of a mother 

January Meeting

As it was the beginning of the year, the January meeting consisted of a student led presentation by some members of the youth on the topic of the New Year and New Year resolutions.

In the first hour we had a presentation in which we were quizzed about how different cultures across the world celebrate New Year’s Day, expanding our knowledge about different cultural practises. Then as a group we also discussed our perception on New Year resolutions and whether the goals we choose are achievable hence a source of motivation or do we often set goals which are unrealistic or overly ambitious within a set time frame and the consequences this can have on our mindset. 

Planning a New Year's resolution 

We also played a game of articulate, where we were all split into small groups and were given a spiritual term which we had to explain to our teammates so that they can try and guess what the word was, without saying the given word. This game livened up the session with all members of the youth becoming actively involved in the game. 

The following 2 hours consisted of analysing spiritual quotes in groups, followed by role plays in groups based around the topic of ‘Sympathy and Empathy’, and we explored how they are both completely different concepts. Sympathy is when you feel sorry for someone’s misfortune whereas empathy is when you can understand someone’s sorrow and share their emotional experience, creating a connection. It was an insightful activity highlighting the important differences between these two words which are often used interchangeably. 

Christmas Presents for the Elderly

In our monthly meeting on Saturday 9th of December 2017, we spent the session gift wrapping Christmas presents we bought for the elderly residents at Elsley Court. In the lead up to the meeting, we worked as a team to buy a range of Christmas presents which included gorgeously scented candles and beautifully packaged lotions and soaps as well as many other types of gifts. During the meeting itself, we wrapped these presents and wrote Christmas cards for each and every resident, hoping to bring a smile to the elderly during the festive season. We were delighted to see that the residents were pleased with their gifts and many residents were in disbelief to be receiving Christmas presents.      

A wide range of Christmas presents for the elderly ready to be wrapped 

Youth members with the gift wrapped presents 

Elsley Court residents showing their appreciation for their Christmas presents

Additionally, during the meeting we celebrated the OSBM Youth Wing’s 5th birthday with cake and food and enjoyed festive games. 

Youth members cutting a cake in celebration of the youth wing's 5th birthday

Feeding the homeless

Om Sharavanabhava 

Homelessness is a large concern in London, with the number of people sleeping on the streets rising exponentially every year. With this in mind, to honour Swami’s birthday the youth wing wanted to aid those who are homeless, as they are often some of the most vulnerable and marginalised people in our society. 

Swami often says, Annadhanam (distributing food) is one of the most highest forms of seva hence we decided to participate in a feeding programme for the homeless. We chose to volunteer with a charity called, AMURT UK, a grassroots community development and disaster relief organisation, who work with local communities to help alleviate their immediate suffering and relieve poverty.

From the beginning of November for four consecutive Thursday’s, members of the youth volunteered with this charity to both help cook and distribute food for the homeless. A team of youth members would arrive in the afternoon at AMURT’s base to help assist members of the AMURT organisation to prepare and cook a delicious meal of vegetable curry and rice accompanied with a fresh salad. 

                                         

Youth members helping to prepare food

Later in the evening, another cohort of volunteers would arrive at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, in Central London to assist the charity to serve the food. A queue of homeless people often will be waiting for the food to arrive, with some people having walked long distances to have a hot meal. When serving the food, we were able to witness and appreciate by listening to these people how this one meal makes a world of difference to their lives and without it they would have slept hungry in the cold. 

Youth members serving food

Participating in the programme was a truly rewarding and eye-opening experience, allowing us to acknowledge the difference one meal can make and recognise how many of us often take food for granted in today’s day and age. We would like to show our gratitude to AMURT UK for welcoming us with open arms to participate in their incredible, charitable homeless feeding programme. We are eager to work with them again in the future. 

Om Sharavanabhava 

Toys and Books collection

Om Sharavanabhava 

In honour of our beloved Swami’s birthday, in the month of October, the youth wing wished to celebrate his birthday by conducting seva activities in the UK. The first seva project we organised was to collect toys and books for children who are currently in a hospice due to a debilitating or terminal illness. 

During Swami’s visit to the UK, in the months of September and October, we kindly asked for donations of gifts for this worthy cause and devotees generously donated a wide range of gifts for ill children between the ages of 0 to 16. The gifts included: arts and craft sets, board games, musical boxes and fiction books. 

Collection of gifts for the children

These gifts were donated to Richard House Hospice, the capital’s first children hospice based in East London, which currently supports over 300 families by providing direct care to seriously ill children. 

Once all the donations had been gathered, a few youth members went to Richard House Hospice to deliver the donations, where the gifts were received with a warm welcome and much appreciation. 

Youth members handing over gifts to staff members at Richard House Hospice 

We would like to heartfully thank each and every person who helped us bring a smile to these children’s faces during their time of hardship, by donating gifts.

Om Sharavanabhava 

October Meeting 2017

With Swami’s birthday being on the 11th of October, we dedicated our October meeting to celebrate our beloved Satguru’s birthday. At the beginning of the meeting, we were given a presentation by some of the youth members on Swami’s life story, and the mission which he has devoted his life to. We learnt about the progression of Swami’s global mission, which is established on the four pillars of providing: food for the needy, medicine for the poor, clothes for the destitute and books for the under privileged children. 

Youth members delivering their presentation

We also explored and analysed a number of Swami’s quotes, which are included below. In various groups we then portrayed the main concepts of these quotes through the means of role play.  The role plays highlighted the various perceptions of one quote by youth members and sparked many original ideas. 

Quotes by Swami

Respecting others is true devotion.

You are related to all souls in this world.

Only when you delve within will you find purity. 

Do not become a prisoner to experiences. 

Accept everything equally and perceive the world through your inner eye. 

Dharma is God's temple. 

The true essence of life is service. 

Where there is satsang, there is peace. 

A Guru is the director, producer and actor. 

Even something sweet when consumed in excess becomes bitter. 

God knows a flower needs both darkness and light, likewise God knows what we need. 

Amid the meeting, we also cut a splendid, hand crafted cake, made by one of the youth members,in honour to celebrate Swami’s birthday.

Youth members cutting Swami's cake

Sponsored Walk 2017

On 9^th September, members of the youth wing participated in the annual Charity Walk for the Blind. 

In 2015 and 2016, the Om Sharavanabhava Seva Trust raised over £30 000 to aid young and partially sighted victims of the civil war in Sri Lanka. 

This year, we are hoping to do something similar by raising funds to deliver free valuable educational materials for under-privileged children in Sri Lanka. This will provide them better opportunities in education and in work. This is something that we take for granted in our country- we all automatically follow through in a system beginning from nursery, right through to university. We often forget that this is a rare occurrence for some children who born into poor families affected by many years of civil war. 

This year we were fortunate enough to be led around Richmond Park by Swami himself. The walk began at Sheen gate at 10am; Swami led the large group of about 200 devotees around the park, happily chanting ‘Haro Hara’ and singing bhajans right till the end! 

The walk took about an hour and a half from start to finish – everyone walked at their own pace, trying to keep up with Swami who sprinted on three occasions! His infectious energy made the walk possible for even those who normally had mobility issues. 

Members of the youth were involved in crowd control as it was important to ensure the health and safety of participants. We helped with registering participants at the beginning, selling hats and setting up the food stall. 

The walk was a huge success – although the weather forecast was looking grim, there miraculously was no rain right until the end as Swami’s darshan was finishing. 

Events such as this allow the younger generation to reflect upon the facilities and opportunities that have become part of our everyday living, and how a small effort such as organising a charity event like this can go to great lengths to completely revolutionise a child’s future. 

If you feel inspired to help these young children to experience a better future as well, we would be most grateful for any donations towards this worthy cause by visiting our justgiving link below. 

https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/osb-trust/charitywalk2017

Swami encouraging everyone to chant

Swami leading the sponsored walk 

Swami boosting everyone's morale

Onam 2017

Every year Onam is enthusiastically celebrated across the world, particularly in Kerala to mark the sacrifice of King Mahabali, who offered his own life in order to uphold his vow to Vamana (the fifth incarnation of Lord Vishnu). 

This year, on the 3rd of September, we were able to celebrate this beautiful festival in Swami’s presence with a large number of devotees. Traditional Kerala drummers and Kerala dancers brought a vibrant atmosphere to the Onam festivities and Swami’s presence made the day a unique experience. 

Kerala drummers

Kerala dancing performance

We would like to share with you Swami’s stirring Onam message. 

Om Sharavanabhava 

On the auspicious festival of Onam may the Almighty shower His blessings to His children all over the world. 

By paying due respect to our parents, reverence to our Guru and praising the glory of the omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient God, may we realise the supreme truth. 

May we attain dharma and protect dharma by upholding the truth in each sphere of action. 

May we experience the bliss of prosperity and success by leading a life of unity and love. 

May we develop and maintain a healthy environment by eradicating unwanted thoughts and matters from within and without and maintain harmony with nature. 

May we overcome all the impediments on our paths for obtaining divine blessing. May He Guide us to choose the right path enabling us to take a noble birth, live gloriously and find success and salvation in our lives. 

The concept of each festival is to spread a message to the future generations to uphold and strengthen the virtues and values in life moulded by our ancestors by their everlasting tapas for the welfare of the world. 

The purpose of celebrating each festival is to make us understand that the goal of life is to repel all vices and attract virtues which bring prosperity and bliss. With this understanding, we will be able to transform earth to heaven. Understanding these principles, if we lead a life of righteousness, upholding the values of life and surrendering ourselves completely to the Lord, we will also be able to attain the highest abode of eternal bliss as the emperor Mahabali was placed by the Lord Himself. 

On this festive day of Thiruvonam may I wish you all, that your lives will also be elevated to the highest level filled with prosperity and happiness throughout your lives. 

In prayers and regard, 

Satguru Sri Sharavanababa  

Om Sharavanabhava 

Guru Poornima 2017

Om Sharavanabhava

This year Guru Poornima, a day dedicated to Gurus, fell on the 9th of July and members of the OSBM youth wing participated in the Guru Poornima programme in Swami’s ashram by delivering a speech, which we would like to share with you below:

On this auspicious day of Guru Poornima, we, the OSBM youth wing would like to show our gratitude and reverence to our beloved Satguru, Swami by talking about the importance of a Guru for the youth today. 

In one of Swami’s satsangs, Swami stated, ’ A Guru means dispeller of darkness, removing the ignorance within you and leading you towards light. Surrender to your Guru, who will enable you to experience your inner self’. In this beautiful teaching Swami highlights the importance of a Guru in our spiritual journey to direct and guide us to help us realise the divinity within each and every one of us. 

In today’s world the youth are surrounded by maya, illusion, and our lives often orientate around materialistic gains and at times we often only think about our individuals selves. However, Swami has taught and shown us the importance of being selfless whether it be by encouraging us to assist those in need or by encouraging us to participate in prayers for world peace and harmony. 

Swami also continues to remind the youth of the sacrifices our parents have made for us at every point throughout our lives therefore it is our responsibility to respect our parents and appreciate them and through Swami we have been able to show this through events such as Maathru pooja. 

Swami has advised the youth to focus on three qualities to perfect our behaviour. The first quality is to be strong (to have a strong mind through positive thoughts and to be active), secondly to be strict (to be disciplined and to have integrity) and thirdly be straight (to always be honest). 

We are incredibly fortunate and blessed to have Swami as our Satguru, to guide us along this path of righteousness and truth. Thank you Swami for being a role model to the youth so that we can be role models to others in society.

Om Sharavanabhava