Cover Story: This beautiful prologue of St. John eloquently describes the Divine phenomenon when the Formless Cosmic Consciousness decides to assume form and dwell among us. This time He chose a Name “Jesus” and pitched His tent in Nazareth, a humble hamlet in Galilee. Christians all over the world celebrate this Divine Drama at Christmas, a word coined from “Christ” and “Mass”.  “Christ” means “Messiah” or “Anointed One”, the title given to Jesus, and “mass” is a religious festival. Jesus is not only for Christians, Jesus is for humanity. Nay, Jesus is for the whole of Creation. As such the birth of Jesus is a cosmic event. It is therefore necessary to ponder, during this sacred season, the very meaning and significance of Jesus’ birth. ...more.

Cover Story: If we look at the troubles that beset the planet today, be it nuclear proliferation, excessive consumerism, terrorism, the menace of cyber crimes or money laundering, at the root of all these evils is not so much a lack of education but one which is unbalanced; an education that caters to the head, ignoring the heart; that trains students in technology but does not teach tolerance; that develops competence but leaves out compassion; that emphasizes profit-making but does not promote sharing and caring. What humanity needs today is a new dimension of education where science goes hand-in-hand with spirituality, technology is joined with human values, and information is coupled with intuitive experience. And this is where the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning comes to the fore........more.

Cover Story: When hundreds of farmers in Cholamaari of Anantapur district were selling away their cattle and bullocks to slaughter houses, simply because they could not afford to feed them when they themselves were going without food for days, the Sai Youth of Andhra Pradesh stepped in. And now even though the dreadful drought continues in its sixth successive year, the villagers in and around Cholamaari are not committing suicide. In fact, their produce has doubled, they are selling milk from their cows, cultivating more land and jubilant like never before. How did all this happen? Again, the youngsters of Cholamaari who used to leave their village in search of elusive dreams in big cities reducing their village to an old men’s ghetto now do not want to leave their village any more at any cost. They are not only earning good money and are prosperous but are also providing employment to other unemployed youth .......more.

Cover Story: The 11-day Athi Rudra Maha Yagnam, just like its name suggests, was an occasion of superlative importance. Significant in every which way you look at it - be it from an individual, societal, universal or historic perspective. From an individual point of view, it was perhaps the most potent “self-purifying” spiritual exercise, as a neurologist from USA said, “It was an unforgettable experience which stunned and exhilarated my soul.” “When I contemplate back on the Athi Rudra Maha Yagnam, words like priceless, heavenly, revitalizing and auspicious come to mind,” said a youth from Canada. Yes, it touched something very deep in every soul who had the privilege to witness the grand spectacle. How did it transform them? How lasting was the experience? How were they benefited? You will find people from different corners of the globe sharing their profound experiences with you in the cover story of this issue. “The Yagnam”, Swami said on the very first day, “is great, most sacred and highly efficacious… It is for the benefit of whole humanity.” One can understand how the invention of a life saving drug or discovery of a rare fuel which is abundant and absolutely non-polluting can benefit humanity......more.

Cover Story: It is probably the oldest revealed religion in the world. It was the most important faith for at least a thousand years - five hundred years before and five hundred years after Christ - and the most prevalent religion during the time of Christ. It was once the state religion of the world’s most powerful empire, in fact, the first transnational empire in recorded history which spanned from Africa to Europe and from Central Asia to India . It was the first religion to clearly teach the doctrines of individual judgment, Heaven and Hell, the concept of Satan, the future resurrection of the body, the functioning of Angels and Evil spirits, the general Last Judgment and life everlasting for the reunited soul, which have now become familiar articles of faith to much of mankind through Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It first gave to mankind a well-defined code of conduct - practical do’s and don’ts - bereft of rituals and austerities, towards attainment of his glorious mission on earth and eternal illuminated life thereafter. Yet It is also a religion that was driven from its native .....more.

Cover Story: Why is the Buddha so charismatic? Because he once and for all solved the eternal riddle of man – “How can I be Happy?” And how did he do it? Through self-effort, inner strength and strong conviction. His life is an amazing saga of the triumph of the spirit over the senses and he was so human (living a married princely life) just before he left his wife and little son Rahul. It is this ordinary-to-super-human facet of His life which makes every man think, “Yes, it could be possible for me too.” The Buddha practised what he learnt and taught what he practised. In perfect harmony with his innerself as well as with society, he became just the right conduit for divine love and wisdom. While the Buddha then and now Sai say the same thing, what the Buddhists and all other spiritual seekers have now is a Being who can by His mere physical presence elevate man’s consciousness to the level of the divine. How do the Buddhists celebrate Buddha Poornima in His divine presence? ....more.