Love in Action

Om Sri Sai Ram,

With humble pranaams at Bhagawan’s lotus feet, we bring this first edition of the newsletter to our ND Sai Bal Vikas families. This is a humble effort to:

• Make everyone aware of center activities.
• Highlight our children and past graduates practising Swami’s principles in their daily lives.
• Share parenting tips that align with Swami’s teachings.
• Share Swami’s messages.

This will be published once every unit. We request you to make the best use of this effort and become partners by giving us feedback and sharing your thoughts on what you would like to see included.

Swami’s 100th Birthday celebrations

Japanese culture honours cranes, and one of the classic origami designs is the graceful crane. It is believed that folding one thousand cranes grants one’s wish. As part of our year-long projects to celebrate Swami’s centenary year, Bal Vikas students, teachers and parents will fold a thousand paper cranes. The students have expressed the wish for peace around the world. May Swami fulfil their wish.

A generous parent purchased the needed supplies, and the project kicked off as a service project by 3rd graders and 8th graders last unit. Students chanted the Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu prayer and started to learn. One of their classmates taught them the design. The project will continue until 1000 cranes are folded and offered to Swami.

Every child jumped into the activity with great zeal. A few had basic origami skills. A few had no experience and were learning it anew. A few were confident. A few got frustrated. Watching the children through the hour gave us good insight into each child’s personality. Some offered tips to the child leading the initiative, suggesting a slightly different but easier way of folding a pattern in one of the steps. Three or four took on leadership roles quite naturally and started assisting those who were struggling. With Swami’s grace, the teachers observing will use the insights gained on each student to help them blossom. Swami has said that this is the duty of a teacher: to pull every child up from whatever level the child is.

One of the teachers, a newcomer to origami, watched with fascination as the children meticulously made folds and creases — and how a flat sheet of paper transformed into a three-dimensional crane. As she tried one herself, she was reminded of what she had heard from many of Swami’s students and devotees. Swami led by example when it came to paying attention to detail. Every fold had to be precise, and the steps needed to be followed in an orderly manner to make a final product Swami would approve of. The process fosters concentration, and is calming and meditative.

The dawn of peace can be brought about only by learning, practicing and teaching the art of living together in peace and amity in homes. Then, peace in the world can be established, without delay and travail.

— Sri Sathya Sai Baba, February 1, 1970

Love in action: our children’s seva stories

Kindergarten

In Unit 4, our kindergarten children learnt about Love, focusing on caring for people, animals and nature. The highlight was their heartwarming visit to a nursing home, where they shared precious moments with the elderly residents through colouring activities and word search puzzles. It was especially touching to see one of our little ones gently guiding a resident’s hands while colouring together — a beautiful demonstration of pure love and patience. These interactions brought joy to both our children and the residents, teaching our young ones a powerful lesson: even at their tender age, they have the ability to make a difference in someone’s life through simple acts of kindness.

2nd, 3rd and 4th Grades

Our 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade Bal Vikas children shared their love through a heartwarming Valentine’s Day seva activity. They brightened the day of our local heroes by visiting neighbourhood fire stations with handmade thank-you cards, fresh donuts, chocolates and hot chocolate, expressing their heartfelt gratitude to our firefighters.

Each child poured their creativity and appreciation into making colourful cards, writing sincere messages of thanks for the firefighters’ bravery and dedicated service to our community. Through this experience, our children learned the precious values of gratitude and the importance of acknowledging those who work tirelessly to keep us safe.

While the Frisco fire stations often receive thoughtful donations of water bottles and Gatorade during summer, the firefighters were especially moved by the personal touch of children’s handmade cards and their bright, cheerful presence. This beautiful gesture exemplified the core values we nurture in Bal Vikas — showing genuine care, respect and appreciation for those who serve our community. The joy was mutual: seeing the smiles light up on both the children’s and the firefighters’ faces created a meaningful connection between our Bal Vikas family and these community heroes.

5th Grade — seva at Heritage Manor

Our 5th grade children brought warmth and joy to the residents of Heritage Manor in Plano on February 9th through a heartwarming Valentine’s Day seva. The children began by singing Valentine’s songs and then broke into small groups to engage with the residents through various activities like colouring, playing balloon games and participating in ball-tossing challenges with stacked cups.

It was good to see the natural leadership of four of our 10th grade students, who helped organise and coordinate these activities. The impact of our children’s presence was so positive that the activity coordinator invited them to return for future visits. This beautiful experience showed how simple acts of love and attention can bring immense joy to others, while teaching our children the true spirit of seva.

Get ready for Easwaramma Day

May 6th every year is celebrated as Easwaramma Day, commemorating the anniversary of the passing away of the saintly lady who was blessed to be mother to Swami. Bal Vikas children present a spiritual programme on a Sunday close to that date every year.

The programme offers an opportunity for children to learn about our spiritual heritage and collaborate to make an offering to Swami. It includes music, dance, costume, and all the theatre staples. It teaches them valuable skills — self-confidence, patience, teamwork, communication and more. We have heard from many alumni who look back on their Easwaramma Day rehearsal experiences with fondness and nostalgia.

It requires commitment: rehearsals every Saturday afternoon and on Sundays for a longer duration, for four to five weeks prior to the programme date, plus a full rehearsal on the Friday evening before. Only children who can make the commitment will be able to participate. Interested? Check your child’s schedule and talk to your child’s teacher.

The divine power of group devotional singing

Bhojan for the body; Bhajan for the soul.

Swami has repeatedly emphasised the profound significance of group devotional singing. His words beautifully capture its essence:

Realize that there is nothing greater than bhajan. What bliss is there in bhajans! What a demonstration of oneness is it when myriad voices join in uttering the name of God! The vibrations emanating from them make the heart vibrant. If you sing alone in your shrine, the vibrations return to you as a reaction. But in group devotional singing, what you have is not a reaction but a wave of vibrations. They enter into the atmosphere and purify the polluted air.

— Sri Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 27 / Ch. 29, October 23, 1994

Our center holds bhajans from 11:20 am to 12 noon on Bal Vikas class days, and we warmly encourage all students and parents to participate.

Opportunities for parents and children

Did you know that Bal Vikas offers electives too — and for both parents and children?

A parent of our alumni, Radhaji, who is an expert in knitting and crochet work, has offered her expertise in the service of Swami for many years. In the past she has led the knitting of caps and other winter items for people without homes. Recently, as part of Swami’s centenary celebration, our programme committed to making 100 sets of infants’ winter clothing to be offered to the infants receiving medical care at Sai Aashraya Super Specialty Hospital. Radhaji has been offering knitting and crochet lessons to interested parents and older children regularly at the center, to help all who are interested be part of the seva. The first few completed sets were recently handed to the Sai Aashraya founders.

Veda classes

Another parent of one of our alumni, Mahendraji, has been teaching Vedas to Bal Vikas children for over a decade. Children in 4th grade and above can participate. Classes are held so that they can attend during the time when their own classes are not in session. Swami has emphasised the importance of Veda Samrakshanam in many discourses, as well as by being an exemplar — even now, Ati Rudra Maha Yagnam is ongoing at Prashanti Nilayam. Our Veda classes are inspired by Swami as an effort to sustain our ancient scriptures by training our children to chant them with discipline while spreading positive vibrations even as they learn and practise.

Additional seva opportunities

• Our Narayan seva at the Austin Street shelter in Dallas, every first Friday of a month.
• On the first Saturday of every month from 10 am, the Shirdi Baba temple in Plano organises a Cleaning Seva. The temple has been home for our unit presentations. Children are encouraged to participate as an expression of gratitude.
• Breakfast Seva, serving healthy and nutritious breakfast to the homeless in Dallas every day, led by one of our own teachers.
• Volunteers can also collect our white sheets once every other month and return them washed. Parking volunteers could also use your help.

Want to get involved? Talk to your child’s teacher.

Mindful parenting

Parenting is like two sides of a coin. On one side, there’s the daily chaos — endless laundry piles, diaper-change battles, and toys scattered everywhere. But flip that coin, and you’ll discover parenting’s true treasure: teaching values, nurturing skills, and celebrating every small victory with your little ones.

Why do we greet each other “Sai Ram”?

When you meet each other, do not shout hello or bye-bye, or some silly chatter. Let the moment of meeting be sanctified by the remembrance of God. Say, Ram Ram, or Om, or Hari Om, or Sai Ram.

— Sathya Sai Speaks X, Chapter 14