Festivals
and Events
Vishu
Vishu is the New Year’s Day of the
Keralites (people from the South Indian state of Kerala),
which usually falls around 14th or 15th
of April every year.
This being a very sacred day for the Keralites,
thousands of Malayalam-speaking devotees converge at the lotus
feet to immerse themselves in the bliss of His Divine Presence.
Traditionally, Keralites celebrate this festival with the
most auspicious sight or ‘Kani’ at the most auspicious
time on the morning of the festival day. In the past few years,
the Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, Kerala has been organizing
a ‘Sadhana Camp’ (Spiritual Retreat) in the Divine
Presence where thousands of youth from all over the state
of Kerala gather at the Divine Lotus Feet and Bhagawan profusely
blessed the Youth with Divine Discourses and benediction.
Excerpts from
Bhagawan’s Discourses:
“Today marks the commencement of the
New Year - Vishu. Many such New Years have gone by. Man expects
the New Year to confer on him and the world, peace, happiness
and prosperity. But the welfare of the world depends on man's
conduct and behaviour. Man's conduct depends on his mind.
The nature of the mind depends on thoughts. Only when man's
thoughts are based on truth will the world flourish. One who
aspires for the welfare of the world should see to it that
his thoughts and actions are in accordance with his aspirations.
Good and evil, happiness and misery, merit
and sin depend on man's actions. As is the action, so is the
result. But today man ignores the law of action and acts as
he pleases. It is easy to indulge in sinful deeds but it is
extremely difficult to bear the bad results they yield.
Embodiments of Love! Respect and be respected.
What you give to others will come back to you. You are bound
to face the reflection, reaction and resound of your actions.
Everything, including God-realisation, depends on your actions.
Today the New Year has commenced, but it has not brought anything
new with it. Today is in no way different from yesterday.
If you do good acts now, you will reap its benefit in future.
So, sanctify your actions”.
- Divine Discourse: April 14, 2001
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