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Sai Vichaar

Nov 06, 2008
Volume 11, Issue 26
(In its eleventh year of publication)


01.Feature of the Week
02.Contributed Article
03.Experiences of Devotees
04.Devotees Say
05.Sai Activities
06.Prayer Club
07.Quote of the Week
08.Question of the Week
09.Subscribe to Sai Vichaar
10.Email Newsletter to a friend
11.Submit Articles to Sai Vichaar
12.Un-Subscribe Sai Vichaar
13.From the Editor's Keyboard
14.Disclaimer


From the Editor's Keyboard...

Please note that Sai Vichaar is only yet another global platform on the electronic medium for sharing information on the life and message of Sadguru Sainath of Shirdi. Sai Vichaar does not profess to endorse any particular thought, nor will judge or reflect the opinions expressed by individual contributors.

The "Question of the week" for this week is

Q. Who did Sri Saibaba refer to saying, "This was a true devotee of Mine" and why?

Humbly Yours,

The Editor Back to Menu
















































































Disclaimer

Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadhguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same.

Sai Vichaar team or saibaba.org is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.
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Feature of the week: Patience provides the nourishment!

Baba's simplicity is well known and in fact baffling to those who associated Gurus with grandiose pomp, and showmanship. He did not consider himself to be above everything. Such was his humility. The fact that He did not allow anyone to worship him until a few years before his Mahasamadhi stands testimony to this. The spotless of Gurus, Sadguru Sainath is the jewel reflecting the divine wisdom. It is a practice of those who seek Guru to request for a special instruction or "upadesh". Baba gave none. When Radhabai Deshmukh insisted that she would fast herself to death, the fakir simply stressed the virtues of faith and asked her to mind patience.

Faith and patience will ferry one across the sea of mundane existence, said Baba. How does patience work? Is the patience just a waiting period that will culminate into the period of material riches? If so, it will be just a passive stage the end of which will take one to the beginning. What are the spiritual lessons one can derive from patience? Patience provides the nourishment to the seed of faith. It is during this active phase that faith in one's Sadguru will begin to blossom and bloom. Taking one close to His magnificence, patience provides the excellent of opportunities to receive, ruminate, and absorb everything that the Sadguru has to offer. Patience is the incubation phase that leads one to the realization of the everlasting. The most patient of His children were not richer by the material they possessed but by the higher level of transformation they were blessed with. Bhagath and Abdul remained materially poor their entire lives. While Baba gave lots of money to other devotees, He always kept these two poor. Baba always practiced repentance, abstinence, renunciation, and poverty. He guided these two in the same lines and having Him with them, they never felt that they were ever poor!
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Contributed Article: Saibaba and Kabir

For a parallel with Saibaba, I shall focus on the following characteristics traditionally attributed to Kabir's persona and teaching: (1) the way he used to define himself, (2) the fundamental importance he gave to the teacher, (3) the path of devotion leading to surrender, (4) the essential role played by the remembrance of the divine name, (5) the use of attributing many different names to God, (6) the prominence of Rama's name and, finally (7) the refusal of "tantras" and "mantras" as being deceptions of the power of maya.

Kabir like Sai referred to himself in various ways: God's slave or servant, a devotee of God, faqir, even God himself. He said: "I am Hari's humble slave, and I would not let go of His lotus feet for anything the world might offer me". He said, "I am your humble servant, oh Lord, and you are the light which illuminates all of my recesses. "I am the fakir who has found his truth. One and the same God created Hindus and Muslims alike, and these poor fools fight each other in His name". He also said, I am your devotee, oh Lord, and I come towards You with the hope I my heart of finding refuge". Kabir particularly insisted on the necessity of finding a Guru. The Guru is everything in Kabir's vision, and innumerable are the passages in which he extols his supremacy. He said, "infinite is the Guru's kindness, and incalculable the help which he lavishes. Only he knows how to open the disciple's eyes, so that the vision of the Infinite may bless his sight". "Only the knowledge which Guru grants makes it possible for one to save himself."

Devotion is the foundation on which Kabir based his religious life. He insisted on the notion of surrender, of totally submitting oneself to God. Kabir, like Saibaba, insisted upon the necessity of practicing God's remembrance, not in a mechanical way but by reminding oneself of God's presence in one's heart, bringing to mind all that the divine name connotes. The divine name constitutes the only safe path leading to realization. Says Kabir: "Sing Rama's glory with your heart, tongue, and actions.

Kabir, like Saibaba, used different names taken from both the Muslim and Hindu traditions to designate God. He said, "To me Rama, Rahim, Karim, and Kesava are all truth. And the same are Bismil and Visvambhara. With Rama's name as his support, Kabir declares that both tantras and mantras are deceptions of maya. This offers another interesting parallel with Saibaba who always refused to give out tantras and mantras. G.G. Narke stated, Saibaba never gave me any mantra, tantra or upadesa, and so far as I know, he gave them to nobody.
(Contributed by Source: "The Life and Teachings of Saibaba of Shirdi" by Antonio Rigopoulos)
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Experiences of Devotees:

Sankar
Om Sairam! I have been a Saibaba devotee for a long time. In 1998, I was coming to USA for the first time at Bombay airport. I kept all my company contact information, $500 in traveler's cheques, some dollar bills, passport, tickets and most importantly a photograph of Baba (which my brother just gave me) in a handbag. At the check in counter, I opened the bag to take the passport and ticket, and forgot the bag on the counter. Then I went into the waiting lounge, spent about half hour. When I was checking for the documents casually, I found the bag was missing. I searched all the places and the people, except at the counter. I started worrying about this, while I was praying Baba. After some time, I heard my name in the PA system, asking me to report at the delta check in counter. When I went there, the officer in the counter was asking for identification of the bag. I was telling the things one by one, and he was asking for more identifications. When I told, there is a photograph of Sri Saibaba, he took the bag out, and returned telling 'remember that Baba has saved you today!' I can not forget these words, which prove Baba will save us in need. Om Sairam!
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Devotees say...

Raghunath
Baba, thank you for looking after Marinda, Arya, Arvinnad, Aiden, Tanya and extended family and me. I'm sorry for all the bad things I have done in all my lives. Please guide me and let my life be repaired. I give Arya and Arvinnad to you to protect as well as Marinda, Aiden and Tanya and my extended family. Let me do this new job well and let my bosses have faith and trust in me.

Nidhi
Dear Baba, thanks for all that you have given us. Namaskar sashtang srisainatha, as wished I am posting this message to say my thanks to Baba for the blessings and grace shown on my child. We are grateful to you. Please tell us our duties and we will perform them to the very best of our abilities. Sai ram! Sai ram! You have done many miracles, please look after my child. He keeps on having nose problem. Please forgive us for any mistakes. Baba, I beg you to take care of my child's health. I've full faith in you. Koti pranamamulu. Please take care of my child and be with him always. Om Sai Sri Sai jai jai Sai.
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Prayer Club:

Sai Devotee
Sainath Maharaj, please change my father in law and mother in law's attitude towards my family. As you know they treat us very bad. I beg you to make them to understand us and treat us good. Knowingly I have not done any harm to them and unknowingly whatever bad things I have done, please forgive me. Please change my son's attitude and make him a respectable boy. Please cure his health and make him to concentrate on his studies.

Sunil
Koti pranams to Sai. Sai, I would request you to kindly hear my prayers that I clear all my card dues, loans etc within a year, that I get a very good increment and that I follow the right track and that I become very humble. If Baba answers my prayers then I shall put my experience in the newsletter. And also that my son studies well ad that our family always remain united. I shall also read the saicharita everyday. I promise. Om Sai Ram.

Sai devotee
Baba koti koti pranam. You always listen my prayers .I have no complaints. I am always thankful to you what you have given to me. Please Baba give blessings to my husband. I can't see him tensed like that. Give him a satisfactory job or help him in settling business. Make him your devotee. Please shower your blessings to him. You are kind hearted. Baba help him. Baba my calls should come regularly. As you know everything. Om Shri Sainathay namah.

Anu
I am sorry. Please forgive me, in anger I wrote like this. I won't repeat it in future; I am having sleepless nights and getting scared. Please help me out.

A devotee
Koti koti pranam to my Baba. Baba please I need your help a very powerful miracle to pour on my only son. Please be with him during the second round of tests and remove all the sickness so that he is cured and that he should not go thru powerful treatments. This is a humble request from me Baba. I know you will be able to bring back the smile and happiness in our family. Please bless all of us.

Savithri
Dear Sai Ram, I am unable to know why all of a sudden you are giving me lot of tension and I am totally worried how you are going to set right our family matters and I am unable to know what I have to pray you. So this will be my last article to you. Since I know my fate, I should not tell anything to you. Anyway thank you for everything. No more request to you. Nothing is going correctly. Every where is only problems and nothing else.

Neelima
Dear Sai, please help me with this situation. Guide me every moment. Either convince my parents for my marriage with Anand or convince Anand to break-up with me and marry another girl. In this process do not let anyone be angry and be forced. Let every one accept your decision with respect and satisfaction. Love you Sai,

Sai devotee
Sai, you know my marriage problem. Please solve it and help me lead a happy life. Please help in settling marriage problem and help me in living life as I wish. Please change their minds.
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Quotation of the Week:

"The purpose or object of Divine Incarnation is to protect the good and destory the wicked. But the mission of the Saints is quite different. To them the good and the wicked are the same. First they feel for the evil-doers and set them on the right path".-Sri Sai Satcharitha
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Question of the Week:

Who did Sri Saibaba refer to saying, "This was a true devotee of Mine" and why?
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Sai Activities:

Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Shirdi Sai temple is open daily from 8:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m.(Winter hours). Daily program includes Kakad Arathi at 8 a.m. followed by Abhisek. Madhayana Arathi at 12 noon, Dhoop Arathi at 6 p.m. and Shej Arathi at 9 p.m. Archana, Homams, Sahasranama and sponsored poojas continue in between the Arathis. To request a pooja for yourselves, your friends and family, please call. Devotees can request water (Abhishek Jal) from the Holy bathing of Baba by sending us an email or by phone. Temple is located 25 minutes drive west of Schaumburg on intersection of IL Route 47 and Plank Road in Hampshire, IL. For more information please call 847-931-4058 or send email to maildrop@saibaba.org.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please visit the mandir website www.hamaresai.org or call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of DFW Metroplex is located at 2109 West Parker (Parker Plaza), Suite 212, Plano, TX 75023. For temple hours and activities please call the temple office at 469-467-3388 or visit the website www.shirdisaidallas.org.

Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston Area
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open every Thursday from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm and Saturday's from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm. For temple hours and activities please visit the website www.nessp.org or send mail to maildrop@nessp.org.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704 or send email to saibandhu@yahoo.com. You can also visit our website is www.Shirdisaiparivaar.org.

Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA
Devotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938 or visit www.shirdisaila.org.

Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio
Devotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 7674 Sawmill Rd, Dublin, OH 43016. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call Panditjee at 614-799-8411 or visit www.saibaba.cc.

Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
Devotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276.

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TX
Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted. For more information, please visit www.saiaustin.org.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please visit the mandir website www.shirdisaimandir.org or call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto
Shirdi Sai Mandir Toronto is open from 7am to 9pm for darshan. Extended hours on thursdays and saturdays. For more information, program schedule or directions please call 647-444-4724
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