Mid-Atlantic Region’s 37th Annual Retreat
The Sri Sathya Sai Baba Organization of the Mid-Atlantic Region held its 37th Annual Retreat recently at Camp Westmont nestled in the heart of the beautiful Pocono Mountains. The theme being, “Why Fear When I am Still Here!” the retreat drew over 950 Sai devotees to the annual Memorial Day weekend event held on 325 acres of rolling hills in Wayne County, PA. Despite having left His physical body, our dear Swami clearly showed that He continues to walk with us each and every day.
According to Regional President Prity Bhatt, “With abundant grace and blessings from our Lord, another memorable and joy-filled retreat was experienced by all. Swami provided many opportunities for us to experience His Divine presence. We witnessed the theme of the retreat unfolding in many ways. Over and over, He showed us that He has been with us, is with us, and will be with us.”
The retreat was a textbook lesson in living Swami’s teachings through surrendering and working together in unity. Mrs. Bhatt noted that, “It is hard to fathom how everything came together. It was only made possible by His love and grace.” She explained that two weeks before the retreat, the chief architect for the devotional hall stage became seriously ill. However, a backup team was formed, and for the fifth year members pitched in to turn the camp’s basketball court into a beautiful sacred space. “People worked day and night, and over and over, whenever a difficulty arose, Swami did not allow us to despair,” said Mrs. Bhatt.
She said, “We felt His love and presence in many ways—warm greetings of Sairam upon entering the camp grounds, a welcoming smile at the registration or seva [help] desk, listening to favorite bhajans [devotional songs], or hearing a story/anecdote from one of the esteemed guest speakers resulting in an “aha” moment.”
Other moments included being transported to Prasanthi when looking at Swami’s picture at the altar, finding peace when meditating in Swami’s room, learning a practical tip about Swami’s teachings in one of the workshops, being nourished by delicious prasadam [consecrated food] in the dining hall, and being cared for during the medical/health camp.
A highlight of the retreat was the heartfelt and touching speeches by keynote speakers on Saturday and Sunday that included Dr. Narendranath Reddy, Dr. Rupak Changkakoti, and Mrs. Sarojini Changkakoti. Each shared intimate stories about interacting with our dear Lord in their youth as a result of their families having served Swami for several generations.
Dr, Reddy discussed the qualities and duty of a good devotee when Swami takes care of us. He noted that, “Swami has said that following My teachings and My instructions will do better than meditation. Swami wants us to realize that we are embodiments of Divine atma [soul], to realize our true nature is divinity, and to help others to realize it, too.” Dr. Reddy pointed out other qualities included having faith in oneself, having faith in the scriptures, and having complete faith in God. “Faith is the foundation, and when there is true faith, there is love.”
The Changkakotis narrated very touching stories about having to put their faith in action when despite their devotion, stressful challenges would arise. Dr. Rupak Changkakoti told a moving story about having to have faith when Swami asked him to move to Canada to spread Swami’s teachings, only to be unemployed for months during the time when the fiber optics industry took a downturn.
Mrs. Changkakoti captivated the audience with a story about being a young girl and demanding that Swami give her proof that her father was safe when word came that he had fallen ill in another city. Swami would indeed give a sign, filling her family’s prayer room with an exceedingly sweet fragrance and piles of vibhuti [sacred ash].
Dr. Changkakoti later delighted the audience with some bhajans that he had sung for Swami on several occasions. Mrs. Changkakoti then led the audience in a powerful and heart-opening meditation.
Following lunch, Professor Anantharaman, the recently appointed media spokesman for the Sai Organization and the Central Trust, treated us to a thought-provoking talk. He discussed the difficulties that arose within the organization following the Lord’s transition, when negative media was being disseminated. A long-time professor at Swami’s university, Professor Anantharaman explained, “We did not know how to deal with the media originally,” noting that Swami had not talked to the media in years. He stated that if Swami’s true message is to continue to flourish worldwide, “it must come through his devotees and students.”
The four-day retreat was blessed with perfect weather, and many devotees participated in the early morning Omkar, Suprabhatam, and Nagarsankirtan [all form of prayer] activities that ended with rousing bhajans in front of Swami’s room.
The East Brunswick and Bridgewater centers lovingly put together Swami’s room. That was a favorite spot for many who dropped in to meditate at the lotus feet of our dear Lord. According to South Besthesda President Dr. Sivakumar Sreenivasan, “The fact that one can experience His love no matter where you are and in what you do came true at the retreat. I was one among the four-team leads responsible for maintaining cleanliness of the Swami room during the retreat. What an opportunity! We did four-hour shifts at a time. It was incredibly fulfilling, and it was something that I looked forward to during my four days at the retreat. Never was there ever a feeling that I was missing a program while I was in the Swami room. He also made sure that every petty desire was fulfilled.”
During the weekend, a variety of workshops and other activities were available for center members to take part in, including a workshop on light-meditation led by regional vice president Douglas Gaum; a raw food workshop taught by Ella Gurevich, and a quilt-making session facilitated by the East Brunswick Center members.
For cultural lovers, the retreat featured a concert by ‘Whistling Wizard’ Mr. K. Sivaprasad, who regaled the audience during a 90-minute presentation in which he whistled bhajans in a melodic, flute-like voice. The young adults presented a play, “Children of Immortality,” that delighted audience members with its high-quality acting and messages from Swami’s teachings. Other activities included rousing, gospel-tinged English bhajans with the Bailey Family, game time with the SSE children, and an evening campfire.
Rhajen Ghayal and his wife, Geeta, noted that it was their 31st year of overseeing the kitchen activities, an enormous task that included ordering food for all the centers preparing meals. The East Brunswick Center couple starts working in April to buy all the items that each center needs for its menu. According to Rhajen, the task calls for a great deal of organization, but he is happy to do it because of the joy that goes into preparing the meals. “When individuals cut the vegetables, they sing beautiful bhajans, and all the food is charged with God’s name. Whether you are a Sai devotee or not, the food that is prepared is charged with God’s name.”
Malini Ramnath, the meal coordinator for the South Bethesda Center, agreed and said that despite having a small panic attack when she realized the enormity of the task, “I knew that Swami would not ask me to do this for Him if I were not capable.” Once she came up with a menu, which included a delicious sprout salad, cabbage curry, and bean burritos, she found volunteers more than willing to help with cutting, preparing, setting up, serving, and clean-up. “The meal was possible only with Swami’s help and the team of volunteers He chose,” said Mrs. Ramnath who was attending the retreat for the second year.
Those attending the retreat came from as far away as Canada, and many first-time attendees said they were most impressed with the way so many volunteers worked together to carry out the various tasks. Sita Murthy and her husband, Srivatsa, learned about the retreat from their daughter, Amulya, who had attended a young adult meeting. The family drove from Mechanicsburg, PA, and Sita Murthy noted, “It is our first retreat, and I really appreciated the way so many volunteers worked to put this together. I could really feel the Lord’s presence in Swami’s room. I really felt so much peace there.”
Trish Sneddon, a Pennsylvania resident, said she has been a Sai devotee for 10 years and this was her first retreat. “It has been amazing and so much like a mini Prasanthi Nilayam. The energy is clean and pure, and there is so much integrity and love. I really felt Swami’s presence.”
The retreat concluded on Monday with inspiring stories by some of Swami’s former students who are living out His teachings through service in various careers. For Mrs. Bhatt, the weekend was “exhilarating,” and she thanked all who added to its success.
~Edith Billups
South Bethesda Sai Center, Maryland, USA
