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Sai Vichaar Dec 10, 2009 Volume 12, Issue 31 (In its twelfth 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.Back Issues 15.Disclaimer From the Editor's Keyboard... Those who would like to write to Sai Vichaar for publication may do so by submitting via the article submission page. Please use your original names and check the box if you would like to remain unanimous. Using others' name is not only unethical but would constitute a crime. Thanks for your cooperation. "Question of the week" for this week is Sai devotees have a practice of greeting each other with "SaiRam". How and when did this practice originate? Humbly Yours, The Editor
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: Lakhs of Years!
Yeh Zameen Jab Na Thi Yeh Jahaan Jab Na Thaa Chaand Suraj Na Thay Aasman Jab Na Tha Raaz-E-Haq Bhi Kisi Per Ayaan Jab Na Tha Tab Na Tha Kuch Yahaan..Tab Na Tha Kuch Yahaan Tha Magar Tu Hee Tu.…..Allah..hu…Allah..hu When this earth and the world did not exist; Nor there was the moon, the sun or sky; and the secret of the truth has not dawned on anyone yet; Nothing was here save YOU, none but YOU The question, "Who is Saibaba?" is an interesting one as everyone seem to have a different answer. One's true experience of the first glimpse of Baba usually ends in an awesome notion of something supreme, yet inexplicable. However, the idle talk takes over soon and in the rush to "define" everything, the ever conditioned mind settles Baba as a Saint, or 'God", or an incarnation or avatar. Is that simple? "Those who knew me merely as one with three cubits and a half body has not known me at all", said Saibaba. Is Baba a mere manifestation and His reign a time-bound flash of a few decades? A Sufi chant proclaims the origin of God as existent before neither world nor the sky was created, or even before the truth was dawned on anyone. As primordial as it can be! When Sai was summoned to the court in Dhulia on a ludicrous pretext, He answered His religion was that of Parvardigar and His age "lakhs of years!" On this beautiful Thursday, let us ponder on what His true nature might be and not settle on as seen with the conditioned minds. (Contributed by Sai Vichaar) Contributed
Article: The Holy.....The Meritorious... "Mirthful sportive Ram has come, has come with sackfuls of udi. This refrain only, he (Sai Baba) would sing at his own sweet will, full of joy "- Shri Sai Satcharita, Chapter 29. The holy meritorious, off-white ash produced by the perpetually burning dhuni in the masjid, which Sai Baba would apply on the forehead of his devotees when they approached him for taking leave to depart, he would call udi. 'U' (as in full) means up and 'i' (as in pin) means to go. Learned men interpret "i" also to mean go up, ascending on high, soaring into heavens. So that which causes the dawn of good fortune in this and the other world for devotees of Sai Baba is called udi. She is the mother of Sai devotees, the divine Kamadhenu (legendary cow mentioned in the Mahabharatha). She removes suffering, destroys fear and calamity, gets rid of pain or sorrow, does not burn and ever gives happiness. It is not pungent, bitter, sour or saltish to the taste but sweet and pleasing. It has divine medicinal or healing virtues, and it destroys laziness, dullness of understanding, disease, sin etc. Sai Baba has created it out of great compassion for the welfare of his devotees. If it is always taken with singular devotion and loving heart, there is no doubt that it leads to salvation. (Source: Shri Sai Baba by Swami Sai Sharan Anand, translated by V.B.Kher)
A Sai Devotee My parents had been seeking alliances for me for quite sometime. They would not take leave from work so that they can take it if my wedding would take place. This was going on for few years. They were very depressed and had no hope that some day it would happen. I was living alone and also quite depressed and frankly lost hope. My parents starting visiting temples far and near and visited Shirdi, where they were given Kumkum and Haldi. We considered this very auspicious and we started looking at life again with little hope and my confidence in Baba grew. Hearing to our situation, my friend took my birth details for horoscope to show to a pandit who was well versed in this. When the pandit looked at my horoscope, he said, even if the wedding is set to start, it would not be completed. It will be stopped in the mandap itself. He said that if we performed some puja for Rs. 19,000, then the dosha would go and everything will take place smoothly. When my friend told me this, I was heart broken. I informed my parents and apparently all of us were heart broken. Since, our family prays a lot, we all decided to just have faith on Baba and not do any such puja as suggested by the pandit and have faith in Baba who will do the best for us. Six months passed by like that. I had bought a car and along with a friend went to the temple to get the vahana-puja done. We were surprised as to why so many people were there at the temple. And then realized that it was the auspicious day of SriRama Navami. There in the temple, a girl was standing and was distributing Akshitha to everyone. I too got a packet and asked the pujari as to when he would be able to perform the puja for my car. He said...u have come for the God's wedding, have lunch and then come. All will be good for you. I was very happy. Soon, I got in touch with a prospective person and met him once. As soon as I saw him, I felt Baba saying in my ears....He is the one. And in less than a month's time, the wedding was to take place. I was very worried along with my brother and parents remembering about the pandit's words. But there was one strong belief that said that Baba would do the best for our family and since we intentionally didn't hurt anyone, Baba would take care of us. I kept praying with firmer devotion. I badly wanted to go to Shirdi, but unfortunately couldnot. I went to the temple, which is close to my house and imagined that to be Shirdi. I said to myself that if within that week, if I receive Baba's prasad from Shirdi, then all will go well. And guess, in 3 days, one of our family friends came to our house and told me that my wedding card had reached Shirdi via her husband and it fell on Baba's feet. My eyes were filled with tears and my joy knew no bounds. She said that she would bring the prasad as soon as her husband returns which she did. Thus, my faith in Baba became even firmer. Then, the day of wedding was fast approaching. I prayed to Baba that He attend my wedding and bless us. And He did fulfill my wish: 1) A man who came to bless us had a chain with Baba's face as pendent 2) Another man had a pen which had the picture of Saibaba 3) My mother's colleague gave me a silver idol of Baba as a wedding gift. 4) I had ring on my finger and Baba is with me all the time. The wedding took place peacefully with Baba's blessings and today as I write this, its 6 months after my wedding. I found a perfect fit in my life and family only with the blessing of Sainath. A Sai Devotee Ms Chakraborty Sanjeev Payal Nayana Shefali RSS Pushpa Quotation of
the Week: Q. Sai devotees have a practice of greeting each other with "SaiRam". How and when did this practice originate? A. Your answer can go here.
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