Jaya Guru Datta!
On this blessed occasion of Divali 2018 it is indeed an opportunity to remember how blessed and fortunate we are.
We are alive, we are given the opportunity to be good and do good, we are given the opportunity to burn up bad karma, we are given the opportunity to do seva, we are blessed to have a human body and walk the earth while Divine Beings have taken physical form to guide and protect us.
In this past week we were blessed with good news coming from the His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji:
• SgsPosts has been downloaded over 100k times (Jaya Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta! Sadguru Maharaj Ki Jai!)
• Appaji has inaugurated the Avadhoota Datta Peetham SriSailam Ashrama in Andhra Pradesh
• Another Bhagavad Gita class was opened to allow interested persons to learn Bhagavad Gita by memory or by fluency in pronunciation and recitation.


Just a little over a week ago (October 28) we were blessed with news that the Yoga Sangeeta App for Android users was released thereby making it easier for us to submit our Mantra count (Shivaaya Rudraaya Namaha). What some may not know is that when His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji instructed devotees to chant the Mantra it was not just for peace and prosperity in Trinidad and Tobago but it was for worldwide peace and prosperity. More people are heeding the call to chant “Shivaaya Rudraaya Namaha” and the sincere hope is that many more will continue to do so!
Then here in Trinidad we were faced with numerous challenges but we united as a people in several ways in spite of the fact that some were highly unfair and inhumane.
How?
Here is how:
1. Many people rendered assistance to those affected by last month’s flooding (preparing meals and distributing them, rescuing people who were trapped, providing clothes, mattresses and cleaning agents, spreading messages on social media on how to help people affected by flood waters, giving cash and housing accommodation to those displaced by the floods)
https://www.meppublishers.com/trinidad-tobago-floods-2018-how-to-help/#axzz5W8dgRYDC
https://sewausa.org/Trinidad-and-Tobago-Floods-2018
http://www.looptt.com/content/list-donation-drop-points-tt-mobilises-help-flood-victims
2. Many people showed that we do not live according to lines of religion, ethnicity or politics.
3. Many people heeded a call to render humanitarian service to others and they did it selflessly.
4. People began sending out messages to alert others on how to find those who were in distress (giving them directions).
5. Those who could not do anything substantial (by way of monetary aide or purchasing things needed for homes) offered prayers for those in need of help and also offered words of comfort and encouragement via social media.
How then should we move forward?
1. Continue helping each other
2. Continue being thankful for all blessings
3. Do not give up
4. Focus on positivity rather than negativity
5. Never run from a challenge but stand tall in the face of adversity
6. Always aim to be the best that you can be!
7. Follow the teachings of our Divine Master (who is the absolute and is purity and humility personified) and pay careful attention to the inspirational posts in SGSPosts.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sgsragasagara.sgs_posts
https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/sgs-posts/id1097382754?mt=8