MIDDLE EAST

"It is with great pleasure and much happiness that I write these words to express my gratitude to Divine Life Society South Africa for the live streaming of the Master's 130th birthday celebrations.

"As a young child, I was spontaneously drawn to the magnetic aura of Gurudev and I am blessed to have a Divine Master whose simple words are spiritually charged and whose teachings have given immenseinspiration and guidance to so many. 

"For the better part of my life I have participated in Satsang and it was indeed a wrench not to be physically present for the Master's birthday celebrations especially since I now reside out of South Africa. 

"Thanks to the live streaming it was so rewarding to enjoy Satsang on the 8th and 10th of September 2017 at Reservoir Hills and La Mercy respectively. For those of us away from home to be part of Satsang is a great blessing. 

"The use of this technology has enabled many of us to stay focused, practise our religion and receive the waves of Divine Blessings and Grace that flowed from the Master on this occasion. 

"It is without doubt that Sri Gurudev is certainly with all devotees wherever they may be. Many of my family members were present at Satsang. I was able to pray with them. Others were in other provinces in South Africa however, as a result of this live streaming, we were all essentially praying together. "I thank DLS South Africa for making the live streaming possible. It gives immense courage, strength and comfort to all those away from home. With much gratitude 10 September 2017"

DURBAN

One of our devotees in Durban was unable to attend due to illness. This is her response:

"I was able to participate fully in the 130 year celebrations held at La Mercy on Sunday 10th Sept, through the live streaming facility. It made me feel a total part of it as it was so clear and beautiful. There were no glitches at all. I thank the Society for this excellent service being rendered as Sri Gurudev's presence can be felt by all our devotees all over the globe. Many thanks and great appreciation."

FROM JUDY ASHRAM:

"Hari Om,
I want to express my sincere gratitude for the privilege and opportunity to have watched a most inspiring and spiritually uplifting celebration of Sri Gurudev's birth anniversary via the live-streaming on YouTube. By the Grace of the Guru I was blessed to be a part of the celebration on Friday and Sunday."

NEW YORK AND LONDON

"Thank you for the arrangements relating to the live streaming. My daughter, in London, could join in our celebrations from Ipswich in UK and my cousin joined us from New York. There were other family members from Johannesburg and Cape Town."

CHINA

My heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda, for the livestream Satsangs on the 8th and 10th September. Residing in China with no recourse to any places of worship in close proximity to my home, the livestream Satsang was an assurance by our Master that wherever his children may be, he will always take care of their needs, especially in the spiritual sense. Even though China is 6 hours ahead of South Africa, and the streaming times were often late at night, going into the early morning, the vibrations from our Ashrams in Reservoir Hills and La Mercy were too good to switch off the stream, so I waited until the programmes were over. The Guru Bhakti of the devotees, which was characterised by their offerings to our Master, often brought tears to my eyes.

Through the Grace of our beloved Sri Gurudev I was also able to complete my 41-day Sri Hanuman Chalisa recital here in China, and join the devotees in the final recital and concluding Havan which was livestreamed. Such is the unceasing Grace and blessings of our "Givananda", even though it was his birthday, he continued to give and give to us his children, the value of which cannot be explained in words. Indeed, even countless of births would not be sufficient to repay our Divine Master for all he has done, and all he continues to do for us, even though we may feel so undeserving of such Grace and mercy. Having participated in the livestream Satsangs, I now have my spiritual batteries recharged, and I appreciate even more, the value of Satsang and the bountiful gifts our Master continues to bestow upon all who take shelter at his lotus feet.