Skip to main content

What Bhakti means: Amazing story! This Italian Catholic Girl from Argentina left home to live in Prashanti Nilayam

I have just finished reading Elissa Bressnan's book, 'Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, My Best Friend: SNEHA - The Eight Step in the Path of Devotion.' Written with a real command over the events that began her spiritual journey and weaving it with her personal family details, Elissa's writing is lively, full of innocence and she is at her best when she is talking about her Italian roots and what faith means to many Italians. [READ: What are Tantric Practices? Find out!] 

Elissa is an Italian girl, growing up in Argentina and her family worships Madonna (not the pop star!) and Saint Catherine and Saint Nicola among others. Throughout her early years, her interest in spirituality is evident and she explains it with small examples.



Some events happen in her life and Elissa finds herself in Prashanti Nilayam, where she begins to have faith in Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in every little thing that she does, be it a thought, word or action. 

From then, Elissa's life becomes a joyful celebration of embracing 'Sneha' in every possible way. She begins to undertake odd jobs as part of 'seva' (service rendered in a spirit of love and awareness that it is for God), which is believed to be the best form of worship.This doesn't mean her troubles are over and she doesn't even want reader to feel think so. She reveals how she finds joy in simple things, like singing her favourite Italian hymn while kneading dough to make pizzas.

She also talks openly about what she went through personally when Swami left his mortal body. 



Elissa is so open about her feelings that we feel we know her inside out. It didn't surprise me one bit when she finally opts to settle in India and to keep 'seva' as her priority. She is not defensive about her decision. What stands out is her happiness.  

[READ: This Investment Banker Left His Job to Live in Prashanti Nilayam]

She's finally home and she knows it. India is her home.

[Do READ: This Japanese Lady in Prashanti Nilayam]




[MUST READ:  A Dad's Advise to the Daughter he loves]

When a woman knows where her heart truly belongs, she's home. 

Elissa has finally found 'Sneha'. And I am so happy for her. 




Comments

UNNI BABU said…
Great post! The title was enough to attract my attention. :-)

Most LOVED Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being bor...

Power of Hanuman's Work

As you start work - here's a question for you - are you disciplined about how you work and what you do every day? From dawn to dusk, we work - all of us are engaged in some task or another. Many tend to work almost on autopilot. Happens, doesn't it? Sometimes, we engage in activities that may not be of use to us and results in waste of time. Distractions trouble us - it could be a colleague talking loudly in the phone, and we may do the same too, without realising we are distracting others at work.                                        ( Source: Radio Sai.org) Often, we are not conscious of how this impacts the quality of our work and time, not to mention our energy and attitude to work. The way we work reflects in the minds of our children. They watch us and we barely realise what they imbibe. Now life wasn't easy for our elders - in fact, they had none of the comforts that we do today...

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Deepam at Home Collating most queries related to how to light the deepam at home, I'v...

The Secret Wishlist by Preeti Shenoy

Have you ever been banished from your parents' good books because of a secret kiss when you were just sixteen? [READ: Why Japanese Fiction is Becoming my Favourite] Did you spend nearly all your life trying to win back the trust and approval of your parents for that one mistake you made? Have you regretted your marriage that your parents rushed you into and you agreed out of sheer guilt?  Have you ever made a secret wishlist with something like "have sex with someone other than husband" on it?  Yes or no, don't miss reading  Preeti Shenoy 's recently released novel titled 'The Secret Wishlist.'  From page one, you are bound to get pulled into Diksha's loveless marriage, her constant adjustments to Sandeep, a husband who expects everything to be done to suit his preference at all times and her need to feel valued as a person. There are so many instances when you would simply grit your teeth and wish that her boor of a husba...

It’s the funny,heart-to-heart conversations that make us happy

I asked my 8 year old son, “Frame 3 sentences quickly about your mother as a person.” This was his answer: 1.      Amma is a good cooker. 2.     Amma is beautiful. 3.     Amma works at..... Look at it from a language perspective and you know that the first sentence is not correctly framed.  But you also know one thing: it is straight from the heart. He meant 'good cook' and I burst into laughter because 'Amma is a good cooker' reminds me of my 2015 resolution: eat less, exercise more! Of the three sentences, the first one made me smile.                                                      It’s no different in our interactions with others. It’s not the “perfect comments/conversations” we recall. It’s the flawed, funny, heart-to-heart ones that stick like glue to the he...