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Tera! Tera! Tera! Another beginning on 4th June! The inauguration of Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) and new wards of Fabiani & Budhrani Heart Institute was held on 4th of June, 2019. This coincided with the 13th Anniversary ‘Tera’ of the Heart Institute.

Countless footsteps headed towards the portals of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission. They belonged to the young and the old, the strong and the feeble, the rich and the poor, the dignitaries and the ordinary folk, those from far-away lands and from the local neighbourhood. They were all bound by the common thread of zeal; to be a part of the unveiling of the first statue of their heart's beloved, Dada J. P. Vaswani; at the Satsang Hall of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, on June 4, 2019. Representatives from different religious institutions and spiritual organisations came and paid homage to this great soul. These different streams of people became one unified river which flowed into the calm mansarovar, the lake of Dada's spiritual oneness. The environment buzzed with enthusiasm and pulsated with a wide range of emotions. Bright smiles reflected joy, while damp eyes portrayed the anguish at the physical absence of the Master. Hearts were thudding in anticipation of the unveiling, yet lips were quivering with remembered pain and grief. There was incessant chanting of the Gayatri Mantra, which commenced from 6 am, and its pure rivulets flowed through the entire day. An Akhand Path of theNuri Granth, a compilation of songs by Sadhu Vaswani; and of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib was started. Various service activities were performed throughout the day. Yes, the morning with its deep emotions and eager anticipation was truly very special. Words of praise by other enlightened ones, for Dada, were accepted humbly. But truly, no words could do justice to this gentle soul who had touched and transformed so many hearts. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj did the honours of unveiling Dada's statue and everyone waited with bated breath for the first glimpse of Beloved Dada. Tears flowed freely down many faces at the sight of his outstretched arms beckoning them lovingly. A loud gasp accompanied the unveiling as the first glimpse was obtained of the life-size replica of Dada. At first, the attention was drawn to the physical resemblance. But, in a short while, these minor details were forgotten, as all were lost in the aura that emerged from the image and the glory of Dada's spiritual presence. it was time to hear beloved Dada's words. We felt him emerging from the statue and bowing down to everyone, sharing his message with us: “We are not the physical bodies that we wear.” He said. “The body is only a garment. We are not the mind. The mind is only an instrument that we have brought with ourselves to be able to do our work on the physical plane. We are essentially the Spirit. Once we realise that, our lives will become dedicated, consecrated and we will become instruments of God’s help and healing in this world of doubt, despair and disbelief.” In his speech, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj spoke fondly of his close association with Rev. Dada. He spoke with reverence and admiration for the light-filled life that Dada had lived – the heights that he had reached and the depths of his humility. “Dada was always smiling and ever willing to help and serve others. Whenever Dada spoke, his talks were filled with passion which invariably moved the listeners.” He also referred to how Dada was a saint, who mingled with all – it was so easy for devotees to meet him every day and blossom in his spiritual aura. He also added saying, “Dada may not be physically with us anymore but he will live in our hearts forever.” He continued that, this statue would be a reminder of what Dada was and of his wonderful qualities. He concluded saying, “All of you must pledge that not only will you imbibe his teachings in your life but that each one of you will be an ambassador of his message and spread it around the globe.”

The dawn of 15thMay 2019 brought along the divine chants of ‘Hari Bol, Hari Bol’. Marking the 49thMahayagna of Sister Shanti, devotees at the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, took to the streets with thePrabhat Pheri- Morning Procession, chanting the Name of the Lord and with it conveying the message of love andbhakti, - an ideal Sister Shanti embodied and lived. “May the Master bless you abundantly and so bless me that I may find release (mukti),” said Sister Shanti on the 15th of May, 49 years ago to a young bride who had come along with her bridegroom to seek her blessings before they were to tie the sacred knot of marriage - recalls the then bridegroom, today a Retired Major General from the Indian Army. “We were naïve to understand but later we realised, she waited for us to seek her blessings before she could leave her physical body and merge with the Master. We were the last couple she spoke to before she departed and I feel ever grateful to Sister Shanti for it,” General Israni says. In Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani’s book ‘A Child of God,’ this young couple is mentioned too - A young couple on their way to the marriage-hall came to her at 5:30 pm, to seek her blessings. She met the bride and bridegroom with such warmth of love that they exclaimed: -“We shall remember this as not merely the happiest but, also, the most blessed day of our life!” In observance of her Mahayagna, the Sadhu Vaswani Mission began the day, after the Prabhat Pheri, by lighting the holy havan fire and conducted seva activities of the needy and disabled. So was a seva activity for adopted children held. Seva items included school bags, dresses, shirts, stationery sets and the season’s favourite, mangoes! In the evening, students of the St. Mira’s School (Primary and Secondary) gave inspirational tribute speeches. Each year, girls from the St. Mira's School are crowned with the Devi Shanti Award in recognition and appreciation of their loving and compassionate nature, the primary disposition of Sister Shanti. This year, Sachi Vyas (Std. IV), St. Mira's Primary School and Aaniya Motwani of Standard (Std.VI), St. Mira's Secondary School were crowned with the Devi Shanti Title. Likewise, Pramila Pradeep Sarkar (Std. VII) received an award for writing the Mahamantra highest number of times (7700).  Avani Khurad (Std. III) got the first prize for Hindi Speech and Prachi Duseja (Std. IV) got the second prize for Sindhi Speech. A recorded upadesh of Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani was played. He spoke of love and yearning for the Lord and how a true devotee lives in utmost surrender. A ratri satsang too was held. On May 16, 2019, the morning session includedsatsan & havanalongside seva of needy students. Devotees also partook the Langar Prasad - fellowship meals. One of the volunteers, Gitika Valecha said, “I have been doing this seva since I was a little child and I find it immensely fulfilling seva. I have noticed the added strength and vigour that comes while I am at it. Also, the taste of the food is unique, as though there were some secret ingredient that brings flavour to it but we all know it is Dada’s love that acts as the ingredient.” The evening session included a satsang with a movie giving glimpses into the life of Sister Shanti followed by a recorded upadesh of Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani wherein he spoke of Gautama Buddha and how Sister Shanti reflected his teachings through her living example. He added as to how she spent her nights in meditation, love and longing and the days in purity of thoughts and action. The Upadesh gave a beautiful insight into Sister Shanti’s life and teachings - a child of God, a picture of compassion and an image of love and forgiveness. The Mahayagna concluded with the Deepak Yatra and aarti at the Sacred Samadhi. Shanti Clinic, healthcare and diagnostic centre of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, gave 50 percent concession to 744 patients for color doppler, consultation, electrocardiogram, physiotherapy, x-ray, sonography, dental, laboratory, dispensary & homoeopathy. A bone mineral density camp was also held.

Sadhu Vaswani Institute of Teachers’ Training (SVIOTT) — completed its 10 year milestone in ‘teaching and learning’ on the 27th April, 2019. Commemorating this momentous achievement, SVIOTT, planned a day-long multifaceted event for educators, collaborators and alumni. The function was inaugurated at the hands of Mrs. Amruta Prabhu, Principal- HDFC School Pune, the Chief Guest for the occasion and Didi Krishna Kumari, Working Chairperson, Sadhu Vaswani Mission. The event began with prayers at the Sacred Samadhi of Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani and Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani. This was followed by an educative exhibition consisting of innovative projects and methods of teaching. Every project was handmade and the efforts that had gone into reflected immensely. Next was the themed event, ‘Impact of Gurus On Our Lives’. It began to melodious and innocent renditions of the Gayatri Mantra and Asato Ma Satgamaya, by the little ones of Sadhu Vaswani Gurukul, Manjri. Amidst applauses, the comperes for the day called upon Ms. Matai to address the gathering. She thanked the beloved Masters for their grace and love owing to which SVIOTT stands tall as one of the premiere teachers’ training institute in India. She also welcomed all the dignitaries and alumni who spared their valuable time to celebrate this landmark of 10 successful years. Finally she concluded her address by handing over the mike to Ms. Manju Nichani to welcome and introduce Didi Krishna Kumari. Didi Krishna Kumari, addressing the gathering narrated a few experiences of hers with Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani and Rev. Dada. She spoke of how, at an early age, she was taught to turn to God for all her needs and necessities. She encouraged everyone to do the same. Didi also narrated a heart-touching story of a father and son where the father promised to always be by the side of the child. Drawing an allegory from the story, she assured everyone of Beloved Dada’s presence in their lives. Invoking him, she passed on the podium to the comperes of the day. The next session included honouring the Pre-primary and Primary teachers of Sadhu Vaswani Mission schools across India, who have been innovative and ingenious in their methods, and have brought about subtle yet powerful changes in the lives of their students. Following this, the chief guest for the day, Mrs. Amruta Prabhu, spoke on the need of blending spirituality and education, an aspect the Sadhu Vaswani Schools stand testimony to. She appreciated the innovations in teaching that have been brought about by the teachers and the efforts that are being poured in to improvise and adapt with every passing year. She concluded with a tribute to the Masters. Singing of the National Anthem concluded the session and the gathering broke for lunch. Post lunch there were sessions by awardee teachers of schools. It was both informative and ingenious.

The Sindhi New Year, Cheti Chand, was welcomed amidst love, light and devotion at the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune on Sunday 7thApril, 2019. A picturesque rangoli depicting the Sindhi Culture & a devotional pedestal with the portrait of Lord Jhulelal welcomed the devotees as they entered the Mission. Lit at the pedestal was a luminous lamp in which shone the portrait in its divine element. The décor was simple yet magnificent its own light. Everyone bowed down to Jhulelal as they joined in the program. Soulful rendition of a series of Sindhi kalams and Nuri-Anjali bhajans by Manjushree Assudani Tejwani ushered in an atmosphere of sheer divinity. She was blessed to sing in Rev. Dada’s physical presence on many occasions. Next, was an address by the compere who spoke of the Sindhi culture and how they have managed to survive the several ebbs and flows of the partition, relinquishing their lives and properties in Sindh and emerging victorious from all the ordeals while carving a niche for themselves as a community of recognized businessmen who always engage in charitable activities. This was followed by a short lively skit. Finally, it was time for the messages by the Masters. Upadesh by Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani and Rev. Dada J.P. Vaswani was played. It is not about the year, it is about you, said Rev. Dada. We have to become new. And one way to do so is to cultivate the quality of always seeing the good in others. Do not find faults in others. Go on seeing good in all. This would help the community draw closer to each other. He also emphasized the importance of speaking the mother-tongue. It is the soul of the community.

Coloured in divine love, the atmosphere at the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune on 20thMarch, 2019, was ecstatic. Lord Krishna, it seemed, was present with his gwalas, as the renditions called out to him with ‘Manmohana Krishna Murari, Hari Bol, Radhe Krishna’ &‘Shyam Murari, apne hi rang mein rang de’ at the afternoon session. The highlight of the session was the start of the readings from the Sacred Scripture Anjali Sangrah (compilation of poems and utterances by Rev. Dada J.P. Vaswani). ‘Muhinjo Lal Fakir’ (My Beloved Saint) was the inaugural vachan taken out at random that served as the message as this sacred effort was taken up by 276 households from world-over to finish the readings of the entire scripture by Rev. Dada’s 101st birthday, 2nd August, 2019. The sangat read aloud the vachan for the day. “This is my first time reading the paath. Although this is the first Holi without Dada’s physical presence, I believe he is here, amongst us and continually blessing us,” said Karishma Primalani. “I’m here from Hyderabad. Reading from the Anjali Sangraha is a blissful experience,” said Vandana Manghnani. Another devotee Kamal echoed the sangat’s feelings, “The message from the Anjali Sangraha was symbolic of Dada’s teachings, affirming his presence and reminding us of our purpose of existence. I feel, this Holi, I am coloured with his love, the pure love of Krishna.” Alongside, seva was conducted wherein a box of traditional Sindhi sweet - Gheear- was distributed along with cash (kharchi) to 84 needy families. The evening session included bhajans, kirtans and upadesh of Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani which came with the message to dedicate the day to giving the love of our hearts to children and doing good deeds such as serving the poor.

The Calm in Guangzhou! Their Experiences with Forgiveness! On Friday, 15th March, the Bridge Builders Guangzhou, youth wing of Sadhu Vaswani Mission, held their first Moment of Calm activity of the year in Guangzhou. “To truly love, Dada Vaswani said, “is to forgive. Forgive, and revive the inner calm that is your natural state!” The forgiveness campaign strives to bring people to such a state with regular thoughts, teachings, exercises & activities throughout the year, culminating into 2nd August marked as The Moment of Calm at 2pm.

The Thanksgiving Week, 2019 at the Sadhu Vaswani Mission was celebrated from February-18th to Feb-24th. It was rung in amidst the ‘Shiv Mahima’, a first ever play on Dada JP Vaswani, ‘Bal Mela’ at Sadhu Vaswani Gurukul, Manjri, ‘Senior Citizens Meet’, ‘The Return Gift’ – a play by kids of Sadhu Vaswani Gurukul, & guided meditation sessions by Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani and recorded talks by the two Masters- Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani and Dada J. P. Vaswani. Day one, 18th February, kirtans marked Shiv Mahima (Glory of Shiva). Rev. Dada spoke on the greatness of Shiva and his third eye. He further emphasized that the purpose of the human birth was opening this third eye and attaining the Lord. On day two, 19thFebruary, was held the Tranquil Tuesdays with ecstatic kirtans by Ajit Naik & Mohit Anand followed by guided meditation by Rev. Dada on the attitude of gratitude. Day three, 20th February highlight was the upadesh of Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani. In his flute-like voice, he said that whatever God does, is best and sweet to us. Everything that happens, is a prasad from the Lord himself. Day 4, 21st February, a recorded upadesh of Rev. Dada on the value of acceptance was played. He narrated a beautiful story from the time of the Titanic. There lived a man in Scotland, with his wife and 9 children. They worked hard and tirelessly for 21 years to achieve their dream to visit America. After years of savings, he managed to buy tickets of the Titanic- a ship that would never sink. But a day before the sailing, his son contracted a contagious disease and the whole family had to be quarantined. The man cursed God and disowned his son for he lost the opportunity to travel to America. But soon enough, the day when he heard of the Titanic sinking, he thanked his stars and God for He knew better. Reiterating, Rev. Dada sent home a message, “In everything, I accept.” This day, also saw the presence of renowned singer, Kaajal Chandiramani, who in her melodious vocals transformed the atmosphere in the satsang hall. On the same day, Moment of Calm newsletter was released at the hands of Ms. Ritu Chabbria. Day 5, 22nd February, was yet again a meditation session accompanied by the mahamantra kirtan. On Day 6, 23rdFebruary, was organised a ‘Senior Citizen Meet’. A take-away bag containing chips, cakes and many more treats was distributed among the senior citizens. On the occasion, Mrs. R. A. Vaswani, Chairperson, Sadhu Vaswani Mission addressed all the attendees. She thanked all present for gracing the occasion and said that the atmosphere was fragrant and alive owing to their presence. She also mentioned how coming to the Mission is comparable to a pilgrimage for a place where a saint resides is truly a house of God. This was followed by an upadesh of Rev. Dada wherein he spoke of the ‘power of imagination’. He said, “Whatever may be the situation is one’s life, whatever sufferings one might be undergoing, it would all be nullified only if one were to imagine oneself as being at the Lotus feet of the Lord and the way to it was the chanting of the Name Divine.” He also emphasized the need of a guru in one’s life and how he can redeem us of our sins and vices and take us onto the other shore where the Lord resides. Next was a play with a mix of musical on divine learnings from the life of Rev. Dada J. P. Vaswani. Several stories that marked spiritual evolution in the life of dear Dada was portrayed by talented actors. The Senior Citizen’s Meet concluded with an address by Didi Krishna Kumari, Working Chairperson, Sadhu Vaswani Mission. “Today, after watching this play, I am sure that all of us have experienced the presence of Beloved Dada in our midst. We all wished that this play go on forever as is our desire to be by his side forever. His life is an ethereal picture gallery from which we had the opportunity to see a few today.” “I have been attending since the past 20 years. The experience, each time, feels heavenly. The atmosphere here is pure and divine. Although Dada has left his body, it is no different, he is here, his spirit is here, and the vibrations are stronger than ever,” said Pushpa Golani. “It is a place where I get peace of mind. Today when I look at the portrait of Beloved Dada, it feels similar to how he would be seated in our midst. There is no difference,” said Menghraj Bhatia. Day 7, 24thFebruary, was the Youth Event. On this day a recorded interaction of Rev. Dada with children was played. The topic was, ‘The key to heaven’. Dada said, “The key to heaven is to become a child. Continue to be children, even if you grow in age, you grow in wisdom, continue to keep your childlike spirit alive. Childlike qualities of purity, innocence, guilelessness, spontaneity and sweetness, let these five things accompany you throughout your life.”  This was followed by a play, ‘The Return Gift- A Super Play’ by Team Gurukul. The children gave a captivating performance where at a Super Hero Party, Dada wins hands down with no cape or costume for his costume is that of love, kindness and gratitude. The blessed week of thanksgiving also saw seva and service activities throughout the week. On the 18th, 19th, 20th and 22nd distribution of hygiene kits- towels, soaps, washing soaps, coconut oil and more- to nearly 180 students adopted for education by the Sadhu Vaswani Mission. On the 21st, a Bal Mela for the students of Sadhu Vaswani Gurukul, Manjri was organised. Treats were served to the little ones of the school which included masala dosa, pav bhaji, cake &ice-creams and kurkure. Gifts that were given away included footballs, dolls, cricket bat and ball combo, tennis racket and ball combo, hockey sticks and ball combo, table-tennis rackets and ball combo. On 24th, as a token of appreciation and heartfelt gratitude, the support staff- maids and peons, of Sadhu Vaswani Mission, for their untiring efforts, were in for a surprise at the Dada Mela. This joyous occasion was organised at the sacred grounds of the Mission. Kirtan session, group games, mehendi counters were major attractions of the afternoon. Sumptuous meal comprising of bhel, dosa, veg biryani, samosa and Sindhi delicacy "chola pav" were served to all, along with ice cream as dessert. Participants of the games were given gifts and children of the maids and peons were given gift hampers comprising of towel, napkin, stationery pouch, game sets, chocolates and dolls for the little girls. Throughout the week, havans, chanting in the Sacred Kutiya and seva was performed daily. Medical sevas were conducted at the Sadhu Vaswani Medical Institutions. Shanti Clinic served a total of 636 patients offering a range of services at 50% concession. Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital and M. N. Budhrani Cancer Institute offered free consultations and 50% concessions on in-house investigations and surgeries in ‘General Ward’. Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital and M. N. Budhrani Cancer Institute conducted free consultations worth Rs. 7,24,630/- for 3,705 patients and investigation at 50 % totaling to a concession of Rs. 7,86,089/- for 3,957 patients. Fabiani & Budhrani Heart offered free cardiac consultation for 295 patients, 60 Free ECGs, Stress Test 47, Color Doppler 180, Pathology 109, Angiography 33, Angioplasty 12 & Bypass Surgery 4, worth Rs. 9,56,180. All in all, the Thanksgiving Week, 2019, was truly a remarkable week in terms of service, gratitude and love.

Conveying gratitude to the nation’s soldiers as part of Thanksgiving Week On the occasion of Thanksgiving Week and as a tribute to Dada JP Vaswani, Sadhu Vaswani International School, Pradhikaran did seva for the environment and seva for the families of the martyr CRPF jawans at Pulwama terrorist attack. In their Fine arts period, children painted more than 100 cloth bags. There were 14 different types of designs and messages to save the environment. Then they performed a small street play on ‘no plastic bags and why?’ for the parents at school. Later, they sold those cloth bags to the parents. The funds collected were used for a seva which they performed on Saturday, February 16, 2019. The amount of Rs 15250 was donated to the ‘Soldiers Independent Rehabilitation Foundation’ which will ultimately be used for the education of the families of those who sacrificed their lives at Pulwama terrorist attack. In their little sweet gesture, the students of the school conveyed gratitude to our nation’s soldiers at the start of the Thanksgiving Week.

Gratitude is appreciation; gratitude is goodwill; gratitude is a benevolent and warm feeling for someone who has helped us’. -Dada J.P. Vaswani As part of Thanksgiving events, the students of St. Mira's Secondary School, Pune contributed their bit towards the welfare of the country and its citizens. India has the second largest road network in the world, but also witnesses the loss of more than a lakh lives each year due to road traffic accidents. In the wake of such tragic occurrences, the students raised awareness amongst people about the importance of road safety rules. The students were first guided by some of the hard-working Pune Traffic Police Officers from RTO. With the use of posters, they emphasized the importance of wearing helmets on two wheelers, wearing seat belts in cars, not using cellphones while driving, and the hazards of over speeding and jumping red lights. The students also wore helmets and tshirts and took to the streets and personally spoke to various people passing by and actively helped in creating awareness about traffic rules. The students enthusiastically participated in this event and also thanked the police department for giving them information and guidance of traffic rules. This endeavor was made possible with the support of Principal Mrs. Anjali Raghani, teachers and office staff.

The early morning of the Thanksgiving Week at Pune heralded the arrival of MahantSwami Maharaj. He is the present Guru and president of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, an international Hindu socio-spiritual organization. Visiting Pune, he came in love & homage to Dada J.P. Vaswani at the sacred Samadhi in Sadhu Vaswani Mission on February 19, 2019. He offered prayers in Dada Vaswani’s fragrant memory. He was honoured with traditional shawl and coconut. He was also presented with Dada’s Centenary Volume - Alphabets of Good Life and the centenary releases. The holy visit became a highlight of the Thanksgiving Week in Pune, thanking God for “an enlightened & highly-elevated soul as Dada,” remarked a Swami of the delegation.

Sadhu Vaswani Center Atlanta participated in a Chai and Just Chat session on “World in Pieces or World at Peace: Women as Peace Drivers”. Each panelist received copies of Rev. Dada J.P. Vaswani’s books “Peace or Perish” & “Magic of Forgiveness”. The panel discussed drivers of peace in the deep-rooted history of Atlanta and abroad, and the impact of leaders such as Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, Dalai Lama, and others. The panelists also discussed our responsibility as citizens to seek friendship and respect all living things including plants, insects, and animals. An audience from Ukraine (affiliated with one of the organizations that was represented on the panel) listened attentively via video teleconference and stayed until the very end (about 1am their time!). They summarized the talk well in conclusion that we all need to just come together and spread the love.