ST. THOMAS - English Program: ‘Habits for Happiness’ – April 21
St. Thomas was the first official stop on Didi’s tour to the West. Members of the St. Thomas community gathered at the MCM Center to welcome Didi Krishna, who very beautifully portrayed the sea as a metaphor for happiness – within the sea, there is a stillness, and similarly, within each one of us is the happiness that we are seeking.
“Dada is gracing us from above with the presence of whom he has groomed not only to become his hologram but also a person who can continue his legacy", Mr. Pash Daswani, President of the India Association of St. Thomas, greeted Didi with words of reverence and appreciation.
After commending the Governor for proclaiming November 25 as an International Meatless Day, Didi Krishna began her talk on “Habits for Happiness”. Our happiness, Didi said, is short-lived, it is dependent on the fulfilment of desires. However, desires are endless; the moment one desire is fulfilled, the next one arises. Each one of us is carrying a bowl of greed – a bowl that is never filled because of our greed.
Didi then passed on five simple habits for happiness:
Eliminate Joy Killers: Each one of us has negative traits, negative thoughts, negative emotions that prevent us from being happy. We must identify these ‘joy killers’ and eradicate them.
Have an Attitude of Gratitude: Every day, we are faced with small things that disturb our mental balance. Gratitude helps us to remain centered and at peace.
Cherish Your Relationships: The one thing in life that we take for granted other than the air we breathe, is our relationships. Rather than criticizing and fault-finding, may we learn to appreciate the strengths of our loved ones.
Share Happiness: The happiness that goes out of you comes back to you. The more love, kindness, and compassion that you give to others, the more you will receive.
Stay Connected: When our phone’s battery gets depleted, all we do is put it to charge. After some time, the phone will once again function. In the same way, we need to charge ourselves. God is closer to us than we know; we simply have to connect to the Source.
A question-answer session of Beloved Dada was also played.
The chief guest of the evening, Honorable Governor Albert Bryan Jr. accompanied by Lt. Governor, Tregenza Roach, was profoundly impressed by Didi Krishna’s talk, and echoed her thoughts of practicing gratitude, spreading love and peace, and staying connected. He invited Didi to return to the island every year, and presented her with a plaque of honour.
Ruh Rihan – April 22
The island of St. Thomas was blessed this evening, for after weeks of drought, the rains finally poured. It was as if Divine grace was showering on the people of St. Thomas.
The evening commenced with an endearing performance by the little children, who in their sweet voices recited mantras from each faith, reminding us of Dada’s teaching that all paths lead to the same goal.
Mrs. Kanta Vansandmalani, the MC for the evening, likened Dada to the sun, the moon, and the stars – ever present with us; and now, through Didi Krishna, his presence was palpable.
In Beloved Dada’s upadesh, he reminded us of the consequences of anger. Anger is destructive, it stains our heart. Therefore, if we wish to remain internally pure, we must immediately ask for forgiveness from the one towards whom we feel anger or resentment.
The audience was spellbound by Dada’s talk, and they continued to be in awe as Didi commenced her talk. Didi began her talk by urging the audience to keep the Sindhi language alive.
“What is one thing you are lacking in life?” Didi then prompted the audience with this question. Time, was the answer. Today, there is a dearth of time. We do not realize that time is limited, our breaths are limited. We ensure that we take care of everything else – our health, our business, and our investments. But do we take care of how we spend our time? Are we intentional about our time?
Life, Didi said, can either become a garden, or a desert. The choice is in our own hands. Didi then passed on two key ingredients to making our life a garden: building your life in prayer, and developing an understanding spirit. A resonating clap came from the audience. Didi then distributed prasad to each member present.