www.saitowers.com/magazine/set-oct-2000

Visit Of The First Lady Of Kazakstan 25TH August 2000

Her Excellency, the First Lady of Kazakstan, Ms. Sara Nazar Bayav came to have Bhagawan’s darshan at Prasanthi Nilayam on 25th August 2000 with a small encourage of officials and relations. Bhagawan gave her special audiences during her 3–day stay. The First Lady left on the 28th of August.

Cultural Presentation In The Divine Presence 21st August to 23rd August 2000

Devotees from overseas performed plays in the divine presence on 21.8.2000 and 23.8.2000. On the 21st children from Germany put up a play entitled ‘The Call of love’ on the life of saint Elisabeth of Thuringia.

On the 23rd, children from the United Kingdom staged ‘Sai Mahima 4’ On the 25th, there was a musical recital by U.S. devotees. Bhagawan blessed the children of the participating groups.

Onam Celebrations

8th September – 10th September 2000The Onam celebrations in Prasanthi Nilayam began on 8th September, 2000. In the evening after Darshan, the devotees from Kerala made a musical tribute at the Divine Lotus Feet. The programme began around 4.30 p.m. in the Sai Kulwant Hall and went on till 5.45 p.m. The first item was a classical rendering by Professor Omana Kutti, Head of the Department of Music, at the university at Trivandrum. It was followed by an electrical Veena concert and then by devotional singing.

The next day, a play entitled ‘Bhasmasura’ was presented by students from Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Peeth, Srisailam, Kerala; following this was a skit - `Sai Leela’, presented by the devotees of Kerala. The programme began at 6 p.m. in the Poorna Chandra Auditorium and ended around 7.30 p.m.

On Onam day, 10th September, a procession consisting of a group of children dancing with colourful material and a group of children chanting Vedam led Bhagawan from His Poorna Chandra residence to Sai Kulwant Hall. The Kulwant Hall was filled with the sound waves of the traditional musical instruments of Kerala even before Bhagawan entered the hall.

Prior to Bhagawan’s Divine Discourse, there were a few cultural programmes performed by the Balvikas Children, a talk by an I.A.S. officer, Government of Kerala, and by a student of Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Peeth. In His discourse, Bhagawan emphasised love for each other. He spoke about the glorious history and culture of Bharath and its reverse today. He advised students to serve society and not to enter into any sort of politics whatsoever.

The Onam Celebrations, 2000 came to an end with a play entitled ‘Bhaktha Hanuman’ and a dance programme performed by the devotees from Kerala in the Poorna Chandra Auditorium. The programme began around 6.30 p.m. and ended around 7.40 p.m.

Education In Human Values Conference 25th to 29th September, 2000

An International Conference on Human Values was held in Prasanthi Nilayam from 25th September to 29th September. The conference was entitled ‘International Conference on Strengthening Values Education - Innovative Approaches to Teacher Education and International Peace and Understanding’.

The Conference was put together by Institute of Sathya Sai Education (ISSE), Thailand. Six hundred and fifty delegates from seventy eight countries attended the conference. Among the dignitaries who participated the conference were Princess Helen Shah, the Princess of Nepal, Ms. Anamaria Asavef, Education Minister of Mexico and Mr. Navaar, Minister of Education of Venuzuela.

1200 Volunteers from all over the world worked round the clock in organising the conference and introducing many brilliant innovations."Strengthening Value Education" was the central theme. The objective was to bring about the essence that the end of education is character. Supporting this core theme, four key areas were addressed,

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba as the Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Deemed University) presided over the inaugural and valedictory functions. Besides He spoke on the 26th and the 30th of September. Bhagawan Baba emphasised education beyond bookish learning. He exhorted the participants to practise more than teach, the human values of Truth, Righteousness, Love, Peace and Non-Violence. He pointed out that Nature and the five elements were the best teachers for mankind. Bhagawan had offered, in His discourse, on the 26th of September, to answer questions put to Him by the participants. These questions were compiled and answers were prayed for by the organisers during the valedictory function. Bhagawan answered these questions during His divine discourse.

The questions asked were as follows :

1. How do we maintain a balance of the five elements by the practice of human values in a practical manner?

2. Bhagawan had said that one should ‘skill’ the education? How does one do that?

3. What is Bhagawan’s opinion on the increasing effect of the mass media on the human mind?

4. Are devotion and spirituality essential for a teacher?

There was much to learn from all around. Children from various countries had put up cultural programmes on the evenings of the 26th and the 28th. Besides there was a human values exhibition that had been very thoughtfully conceived.

The resolutions of the conference were as follows:

1. Before we can develop values in children, we adults have to become conscious of and develop our own values. Teacher trainees must develop character as well as knowledge and skills.

2. Rather than administration trying to train teachers as technicians to deliver a teacher-proof curriculum, they should be ensuring character development in teacher trainees.

3. We are reminded that teaching something is how you learn and understand that something better. So we all need to go home and teach what we all learnt at this conference to maximise our own learning and understanding.

4. Values are inherent in all. They need to be drawn out not injected in.