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A Warm and Loving SaiRam Dear Members,
Hope all of you had a fun and blessed summer week!
Center Devotional Satsang & Bhajans will be at Sister Sahiti Vedantam's residence (Summer Bhajans Venue) this Sunday July 23rd 2023 from 10am onwards. See below in devotional session for more details.
As a summer devotional initiative as we are taught Madhurashtakam & Ganesh Pancharatnam, we shall now start learning Durga Suktam to be offered during Dussehra.
Please join the sessions.
See below for more details.
Please find this week's Centre Newsletter, updates from all wings (Devotion, SSSE, Seva & YA) along with Centre Calendar for July 2023 and Zonal/Regional updates.
Sai Ram
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Please check the attached July 2023 Calendar above.
Quick Highlights in July 2023:
- Center Devotional Satsang & Bhajans on July 23rd @ 42810 Ravenglass Dr, Ashburn, VA 20148 from 10am to 12 noon.
- Narayana Seva @ Manassas on Saturday, July 22nd.
Please mark your calendars so that you can attend the Center with family and friends, and enjoy the bliss of these special programs.
Subscription:
Don’t forget to subscribe to SSSCL YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@loudounsaicenter
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Center Devotional on Sunday July 23rd from 10am.
Address: 42810 Ravenglass Dr, Ashburn VA 20148
Agenda:
10:00 AM : Omkaram, Swami Darshan Video, Chanting Sai Ashtothram, Satsang – 108 Names, Practising Madhurashtakam, Ganesh Pancharatnam, Learning Durga Suktam
11:00 AM : Bhajans and Closing prayers.
Here's is an interesting take on the Lottery
Winning the Ultimate PowerBall Jackpot: Realizing God in the Cosmic Lottery of Life!!
Imagine this: You wake up one morning and realize that you have won the Mega Millions lottery! Your heart skips a beat as you process the mind-boggling amount of money you’ve just acquired. The excitement, the joy, and the possibilities flood your mind. Now, let’s pause for a moment and dive into the world of spirituality, where being born as a human and having the ability and intelligence to realize God is akin to winning the lottery of a lifetime.
As explained by our beloved Bhagawan, the universe operates in a cyclical pattern of creation and dissolution. Within this grand cosmic scheme, souls journey through various life forms, experiencing countless incarnations. Swami has said several times that attaining a human birth is an incredibly rare and precious occurrence, akin to hitting the jackpot in the grand lottery of life.
“A human birth is the most sacred one among the 8,400,000 of different living beings in this creation. To attain such a sacred birth is a great fortune, indeed.” (Baba the Breath of Sai, pag. 311). Being born as a human is the ultimate prize because it offers unique opportunities for spiritual growth and self-realization. Unlike other life forms, humans possess the ability to reason, to question, and to seek the truth. It is through this capacity that we can explore the depths of our existence and embark on a transformative journey towards realizing the Divine.
The Divine is considered the ultimate reality, often referred to as Brahman. This all-pervading cosmic consciousness is both immanent and transcendent, existing within and beyond the manifested world. When we are born as humans, we carry within us a spark of this Divine intelligence, a dormant potential waiting to be awakened.
Just as a lottery win provides financial abundance, being born as a human gifts us with the riches of self-awareness and the opportunity to realize our true nature which is that we are all manifestations of the Divine Atma. Our beloved Lord Sathya Sai Baba has emphasized that the purpose of life is to awaken this inner Divinity and merge our individual consciousness with the universal consciousness. This journey, known as self-realization or God-realization, unfolds through various paths such as devotion (Bhakti), knowledge (Jnana), and disciplined action (Karma).
Realizing God is not an easy feat. It requires sincere effort, discipline, and a deep longing to reunite with the Divine. Swami has offered a plethora of practices and teachings to guide seekers on this transformative journey. From meditation and namasmarana (reciting Lord's name constantly) to rendering selfless service, each individual can find their unique path to connect with the Divine.
Just as winning the lottery opens up a world of possibilities and freedom, realizing God brings forth a sense of transcendence and liberation from the cycle of birth and death. It unveils the eternal truth that we are not separate from the Divine but an integral part of its grand tapestry. This profound realization brings immense joy, peace, and fulfillment that surpass any materialistic wealth or achievements.
In the cosmic lottery of life, being born as a human with the potential to realize God is undoubtedly the ultimate jackpot. It is a rare opportunity, a stroke of divine grace, and a call to embark on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening. Let us cherish this precious human birth, explore the depths of our being, and strive towards realizing our divine potential. As we do so, we unlock the infinite possibilities that lie within and find ourselves inextricably linked with the cosmic dance of existence.
Sai Ram.
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Sri Sathya Sai Educare (SSSE) Updates
NO SSSE CLASSES – SUMMER BREAK.
1. SSSE Yearbook 2022-2023, Electronic Copy
Dear Parents,
Sharing here the SSSE Yearbook 2022-2023, the electronic copy for your reference. Please share it with your family and friends and enjoy the love, fun and joy that was put by our lovely SSSE kids, Gurus and their dedication to our divine Sai Maa.
Google Drive Link : Yearbook 2022-2023 Electronic Copy
2. SSSE Guru Training (online)
Loudoun SSSE for this upcoming year 2023-2024, One of our focus areas this year would be to engage more with parents of the students and get them involved more in SSSE activities. One great way to do that would be to have as many of you (parents) as possible to involve directly in SSSE classes, preferably as SSSE Gurus (teachers) so that you get to shape the classes and also share your experience with the larger student community.
There is an upcoming online SSSE Gurus training program scheduled in August. The form below will provide you with all the details you need for registering in this training program. We request as many of our Center members as possible to register and take advantage of this training program including current SSSE Gurus.
Registration closes on July 31st, Kindly please register using below form.
Please Note: This training is applicable to all current SSSE Gurus who have not been trained under SSSGC.
SSE Gurus Training, August 2023, Registration Form.
Sai Ram
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SEVA UPDATES
Month of July 2023 service activities:
*Narayana Seva (dinner at Manassas shelter): July 22nd**
Desc: Prepare and serve dinner at Manassas Shelter located at:10056 Dean Dr, Manassas, VA 20144 on Saturday, June 24th, 2023.
Signup link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4dafa929a0f8cf8-july5#/
*August 13th Sri Sathya Sai Center of Loudoun Picnic RSVP form**
Sri Sathya Sai Center of Loudoun VA will be having Center Picnic on Sunday August 13 to enjoy nature created by Swami, have some Sai Fun with center members, and to kick off 2024 academic year.
Venue:
Shelter 4 – Algonkian Regional Park
47001 Fairway Dr, Sterling, VA 20165
Timings: 9 am to 3 pm (If available please help with setup starting at 8:30 am)
We are requesting all members to join us with family for some Sai Fun and Games. Please provide RSVP using this form for planning purposes.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkfu5Pq4bks32idWYFW67qLrkV0myQBNf1ppfNElINO4zc7w/viewform
Last day to RSVP is Monday, August 7 2023.
*2023 Back to School Donation Drive**
With our beloved Bhagavan's Grace, we have an opportunity to support our community by providing School Supplies to the kids in need. Around this time of the year for the past few years, Sri Sathya Sai Center of Loudoun runs a “Back to the School” donation drive. This year we are supporting the following organizations: NVFS, Manassas shelters, and Coates, McNair Elementary and Centerville Schools.
Signup Form: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4dafa929a0f8cf8-20232#/
*Vidya Vahini IEP update**
Registration link for Inclusive Education Project (IEP) undertaken by Sri Satya Sai Vidya Vahini (SSSVV) is given below:
https://forms.gle/LkQVbgthQziY3kzr9 Or email at: volunteer.iep@sssvv.org
Sai Ram
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Young Adults Updates
1. YA Re-registration Form: Please look information from YA reps to re-confirm as active YA of the center by registering using below link.
YA Re-Registration Form
2. SSSCL YA group has many service opportunities at Center, if you are interested to be part of any Seva, Devotional, SSSE support or help. Please reach out to our Female YA Rep Varsha Rao or Male YA Rep Arjun Sundaram.
If you have any questions and (or) looking for more YA updates, please reach out to our Female YA Rep Varsha Rao or Male YA Rep Arjun Sundaram.
Sai Ram
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Video of the Week
“| How Prahalada Made God Manifest | Sri Sathya Sai Speaks
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