1. "How can I avoid being outraged by men?"
2. "Why is suicide not an option?"
3. "How to cope with stress while preparing for the Grade 12 examination?"
4. "What is the importance of forgiveness in our lives?"

These are a few searching questions raised by learners from the schools in Ladysmith at a special follow-up workshop held on Friday, 9 March at the Agra Crescent Hall. Eighty-one learners from the following schools participated in a workshop to help them overcome drug addiction and other social ills: Ladysmith Secondary, Windsor Secondary and Acaciavale Primary. Our presenters, who are volunteers, are drawn from the medical, social science, academic and business spheres with vast experience. They answered these questions with great sympathy and understanding. Due to time constraints we were not able to answer all the questions.

This auspicious event on the calendar of Divine Life Society of S.A. commemorates the day when a unusual spiritual power descended into Pujya Swami Sahajananda on 1 March 2007. Regarding the significance of this auspicious day we read the following excepts at our Satsang:

"In November 2007, Pujya Swamiji made the following utterance: "Since the 1 March I am enjoying 24 hours unbroken peace of mind. Previously there used to be a sharp pain inside, but now there is nothing."

Drug addiction is destroying the lives of thousands of individuals in this country and it is for this reason, out of deep concern for the lives of these victims, that Sri Swami Sahajananda designed the Sunlit Path Programme in 2006 to assist them to overcome this disease. In striving to offer this valuable service, especially to children and youth, Swami Sahajananda laid great emphasis on aspiration for the Divine and for the enjoyment of inner peace. This inner peace programme incorporates prayer and introspection as key elements in the programme. To date, Divine Life Society of S.A. has reached almost 70 schools in KZN, in an effort to prevent this scourge from spreading and to rehabilitate afflicted learners.

Mahasivaratri which means "the great Night of Siva" was observed at all Ashrams and branches of Divine Life Society of S.A on Tuesday 13 February 2018. It was pleasing to see that devotees gathered in large numbers to fervently worship Lord Siva.

GLORY OF SIVARATRI

(Taken from Lord Siva and His Worship (Page 239) by Sri Swami Sivananda)

'Sivaratri' means 'night of Lord Siva'. The important features of this religiousfunction are rigid fasting for twenty-four hours and sleepless vigil during the night. Every true devotee of Lord Siva spends the night of Sivaratri in deep meditation, keepsvigil and observes fast. The worship of Lord Siva consists in offering flowers, Bilva leaves and other gifts on the Linga which is a symbol of Lord Siva, and bathing it withmilk, honey, butter, ghee, rose- water, etc.