Anniversary of Mill Park Centre

Mill Park Centre celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Saturday 26 June. The Central Coordinator, Neville Fredericks addressed the Anniversary Function.

As one of the GREEN initiatives to save trees and reduce use of paper, and with Swami's blessings, Mill Park Centre are issuing the 25th Anniversary Souvenir in e-Book format.

Address by Central Coordinator

It is a privilege to be with you today on this wonderful occasion, an occasion when we celebrate the spiritual growth of hundreds of devotees over the life of this centre.

What is this organisation?     What does it seek to do?

At a 25 year celebration such as this, it is appropriate to review these questions so that we can remain clear on the way ahead, so that we can understand the purpose of our organisation and its activities.

We are here because of the advent of the Poorna Avatar, Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Sathya Narayana, as He was known at birth, was born on the 23rd November 1926. Miraculous events occurred at the time of His birth; one of these, musical instruments hanging on the wall, played by themselves. In His childhood, He astounded His parents and villagers with His compassion and wisdom. In His school years, He showed His leadership, and He became a teacher of His teachers. In fact, one of the teachers was one of His first devotees. As a 14 year old, He proclaimed His identity.

Sai Baba has said "I have come to light the lamp of love in the hearts of all mankind" and that He has come "to awaken in man the awareness of the divinity inherent in mankind". Let us examine the meaning of inherent: permanent and inseparable. His mission is: "to re-establish righteousness in the world on a firm footing".

The methods He has given us for achieving these objectives, are for His followers to firstly, through practice and example, propagate the basic principles of truth, right action, love peace and non-violence.

Secondly, by promoting the unity of all religions as being based on universal love, and the other four values, which are common to all faiths.

This is not intended to dissolve all faiths into a common religion. It is to lead followers of all religions to be more sincere and dedicated in the practice of their respective religion while being deeply respectful of other faiths.

Thirdly, to serve our fellow human beings selflessly, and with love. This, Baba states, is the highest form of spiritual practice. We are asked to love God with all our hearts—and God is in the heart of each and every person. He—God, may present Himself to us as a suffering person, a person with a physical or mental disability, or hunger etc. It is up to us, as spiritually aware citizens, to give loving and compassionate service to the limit of our capabilities.

Howard Murphet told the story of a Bangalore lady who invited Baba to lunch in her home. After much pleading, Baba agreed to come on a particular day. The day arrived with much preparation and with many invited guests in attendance. Just before midday at the time Baba said He would come, a beggar came forward asking for food. He was chased away by the host, as Baba was expected at any moment. They waited, and Baba did not come. Distressed and disappointed, the lady soon went to Puttaparthi, and quickly had the chance to speak to Baba. She asked Him why He did not come as He had promised. Baba replied that He had come to her house just before midday asking for some food, but she had chased Him away!

The fourth principle Baba promotes, is the advancement of education in human values. Baba has said that the world will be transformed through education in human values, and dharma, righteousness will be re-established.

This education revolution is already spreading rapidly throughout the world. From the University and schools in India which Baba has established, to many small schools in South America, in government schools in Khazakstan , in South Africa, and to our model school in Australia. Sai schools are tuition free, supported by followers of Sathya Sai Baba - devotees who have grasped the vision and been inspired by it. It is noteworthy that the University Grants Commission of India, recently described the Sathya Sai University as the crown jewel of the university system in India.

These four principles, the practice of these of values, service to the needy, EHV, and embracing the unity of all faiths are the primary ways in which we are able to transform ourselves and advance the wellbeing of society.

SAI BABA AS TEACHER.

There have been great Avatars - God Men in the past, but in all of human history we have never has such a volume of teaching, and instruction from an Avatar. The discourses by Baba are accurately recorded and broadcast around the globe. His teachings will be the most sacred of scriptures for thousands of years to come, guiding mankind Godward.

For me personally, Sathya Sai Baba's divine Love, and His divine teachings are His highest miracles. For it is these that inspire and illuminate us. It is from these that we gain strength, conviction, and the knowledge necessary to take on that herculean task of reigning in our minds and taming it in order for it to be subservient to our spirit, the Atma. It takes many years of work to achieve this, and we can so easily slip back to body-mind consciousness. Baba constantly tells us that we are the Atma, the soul, the formless ever present, all knowing spirit, that we are truth, goodness and beauty. This is the divine love which binds us altogether in a "soft silken symphony" .

In our journey through life, to find the truth of our being, it is not essential to visit sacred places on some pilgrimage, or to spend long hours in some ritual practice. It is not essential to go to some quiet completive spot or to visualize the beauty of nature, or to bury our heads in weighty volumes of religious text. Our task is to travel a mere half metre, from our heads to our hearts, and there we find the formless inconceivable One, the basis for all of our long yearning.

Baba has said "I am in you in the form of the five values". So, when we love someone or something, that love is God manifesting in us. When we feel the prompt or prod of conscience, that is the voice God within.

Swami advises that the Atmic Consciousness within us resides in the vicinity of the heart - on the right side. It is interesting that this is confirmed in the Holy Bible, the Old Testament, the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 10, verse 2. It quotes: "The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left". When we assert who we are or identify ourselves as the owner of something, our palm falls over this part of our chest, over the home of our soul.

Our common task is to live the values as taught by Sai Baba, to live in harmony with our conscience and with our fellow man. By doing so we will become increasingly aware that God is in our heart, guiding prompting loving and inspiring us. That is the firm foundation for a balanced and loving personality, a personality that seeks to serve society by living righteously. Baba's clear instruction to us is: First BE - become the example; Then DO - act and work using right conduct as the guide to action; - then TELL.

The Sathya Sai Organisation was established with the proclamation of the Permanent Charter in 1981. The Organisation exists for us to practice the exchange of Love, and to transform ourselves, in order to find God within and in all else.

The Sai Organisation is remarkable. It is made up of people coming from all faiths and cultures, all levels of education and affluence. We come together with a strong sense of humility, a keen sense of equality, and with the full flow of Love from our hearts.

One of the primary benefits of the Organisation is that we come together and share each other's enthusiasm and knowledge about matters spiritual. This satsang - the keeping of like minded company, has great benefit to the spiritual aspirant. On a personal note, I express my gratitude to the Sai Organisation and it's members for the Grace of their good company over the last 25 years. This association is one of the great joys of my life.

The Sai Organisation is not a religious organisation, it is not a cultural organisation, nor is it a social organisation. It is a spiritual organisation, and seeks only to spiritualise the lives of its members. Spiritual life however, should not be limited to our involvement in the Sathya Sai Organisation. Baba's expansionary message directs us to engage with society as exemplary citizens: "Society itself is an expression of Divinity" ... after all, the whole of creation is the body of God.

We cannot look at some seemingly unattractive part of society, and think that we are separate from it. We are inclined to be repelled when we see some of these things occurring in the world, and in those circumstances are at risk of becoming judgmental. Sai Baba says that all wrong action comes from a lack of knowledge, that if people knew better, if they were in touch with their Higher Self, they would not conduct themselves improperly. When we accept this principle, we are able to recognise that everyone is inherently good, for God resides in all hearts.

When we are guided by the higher motives, the higher ideals, in our own behaviour, we inspire not only the other, but ourselves also - we become in-spirited, we connect with the truth of our being. The more we Love, the greater the Love we are able to give. This is the very purpose for which the Sathya Sai Organisation was founded by the Poorna Avatar, our beloved Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

I extend my best wishes to the Mill Park Centre. With His Grace it will remain a beacon of Love and Light for its members, and for all of those who engage with it. May the members of this Centre connect with and release their magnetic force, the force of Love. "May the force be with you" is a phrase from the popular Star Wars movie. Well, the force is with you and always has been—and that force is Divine Love.

Our Centres are not exclusive places for perfect people, they are places for transformation, where in the right company, people are inspired to modify their conduct for the better. Our Centres are places where people strive to become exemplary human beings. Our Centres are places where we practice the exchange of Divine Love emanating from our spiritual hearts, and from this all of our activities find their meaning.

With the Grace of our beloved Baba, the Mill Park Centre will keep this focus into the future, continuing to achieve the noble purpose for which it was established.

Sai Ram,
Neville Fredericks
Central Coordinator
Epping Community Hall, 26 June 2010

Anniversary E-Book

The anniversary E-Book is available for Windows users and may be opened below. This is Flipping Book format and will display a book which may be read by clicking on the page-curls.

Read the Mill Park 25th Anniversary E-Book.

Apple-Mac Users:

Apple Mac users are invited to download the PDF version of this E-Book, as the software currently does not work on the Mac platform.

Download for Apple Mac users (PDF, 2.5MB, compressed)

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