It is only human to be gloomy and depressed when things do not go "our" way. Let us remember on this holy day about the demands of Sadguru Sainath, the unique Saint God of Shirdi. The two pennies that Sai demands from His children has a lot significance impregnated in it. Shraddha and Saburi that literally translates to faith and patience. Faith may be a function of one’s religious disposition or it may be felt just by sheer knowledge of experiencing the returns of benefits. Earlier, we talked about faith as an emotional gratitude that one expresses for the rewards Sadguru bestows on His follower. We all know how we started believing in Sainath. Faith, as the emotional gratitude is just the beginning of a long testing time. Now, let us talk about patience. Saburi, patience is endurance; an active phase of courage and waiting. This is a phase where one’s faith is tested, repeatedly. This is a phase where faith in Sadguru undergoes constant evaluation and re-evaluation. This duration enables a devotee to re-examine his/her personal encounters with the Lord only to come out spiritually wiser. Patience is the testing ground for faith. In other words, the patience sustains and strengthens the faith. Patience is the voluntary effort that comes out of one’s faith. Thus, patience is an important part of Saadhana. Faith without patience is like flower without fragrance. Sri Hemadpanth said it well, "Let the world go topsy-turvy, hold on to the feet of Sadguru". So, let us sustain and strengthen our faith by believing in the virtue of patience and resorting to the best recourse, His holy feet.
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Experiences of Devotees

Ramakrishna Madhavapeddi, Phoenix, AZ, USA
I will take your time of my experience. My father was classmate of Sri B.NARASIMHA SWAMY and he used to visit us to spread Shirdi Sai's I later I visited Bombay on official work and was staying with my brother. That night I got a dream at 3 A.M.BABA appeared and said why are you wasting time, come to Shirdi. Next morning I asked my brother and he said there is no bus but asked me to ask a neighbor who was Sathya Sai Baba 's devotee. I went and he told me that the service was started just the previous week and I will not get seats as it is the first bus and tickets must have been exhausted. However I went. One person cancelled. From then on, devotees looked after my stay visit to temple, and return by evening to Bombay.

T.R.Padmanabhan, Hyderabad, India
My name is T.R. Padmanabhan, from Hyderabad, India. I am a Shri Shirdi Sai devotee since 4 years and I am involved in the Chemical Import/Export business. I had just completed yesterday one week Parayan of "Life History of Shirdi Sai Baba" - by Shri Ammula Sambasiva Rao- English version by Shri Thota Bhaskara Rao. The whole period was so nice and that I had a perfect piece of mind. During this time things that were pending for couple of years, started being solved in my professional side. From my health side, was suffering a severe low back pain and now it is almost cured. Shri Sai Devotees can again be reassured that Shri Shirdi Sai Baba can solve our problems to the best of the circumstances, if approached in complete faith. My humble request for those suffering on any account please take up "Parayan" for one week, and you are sure to meet with Success. May Shri Shirdi Sai Baba bestow his blessings to all Sai Devotees all over the world.
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Devotees say...

Geeta Laloo, Florida, USA
My name is Geeta and I am very happy, actually I feel blessed that I am getting these e-mail. However, can you let me know if there is any Sai Organization around the Daytona/Orlando area. I live in Daytona Beach and would really like to be active in Sai activities. Shirdi Sai Center nearest to your residence is located at Shirdi Sai Center, Inc. 4301 S. Pleasant Grove Road, Inverness, FL 34452. Telephone: 352-860-2181. Please refer to Sai activities around the world section elsewhere on this web site for more information on Shirdi Sai Center of Florida - Sai Vichaar

Roselene Prasad
My hearty pranam to thy lotus feet. I have been following the story of the Shirdee Trip devotee very closely, it was a wonderful blessing from our SAI NATH. Can I please get the email address of this devotee as I am planing a trip to Shridi for the second time and would like to get so information.

A.S. Vijayaraghavan, India
I take this opportunity to thank the organizers for providing valuable information and about the miracles done by the miracle god Sri Sai maharaj. People born sometimes have to undergo some problems and by sincerely praying to lord Sai, definitely there will be a solution and our obstacles will be removed. true faith, devotion is necessary. what is already written for us we have to experience even if it is bad. by praying, the difficulties will come down. for example if a person has to loose one hand if he prays very sincerely he may loose one finger. Let Sai maharaj bless all with his true divine power.

Krishna Alluri, Vancouver, BC.
To the devotees seeking support through Prayer Club: Sai Ram. In expounding on "Who is this Me ( or I )", Sai says that "You need not go far or anywhere in search of Me. Barring your name and form, there exists in you, as well as in all beings, a sense of Being or Consciousness of Existence. That is Myself. Knowing this, you see Me inside yourself, as well as in all beings. If you practice this, you will realize all-pervasiveness, and thus attain oneness with Me". Hope that such effort will help the devotees needing Sai's help and guidance.

Response from Shailaja Divakarla of Australia to the question of the week
Dear Sai Devotees, First of all I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations to the Sai Vichaar team for their efforts, with the Grace of Baba, in making the first year so successful and in making Sai Vichaar such a source of solace and hope to so many people all over the world.

I would like to express my appreciation over the reply Jyothi from Delhi gave in response to the war in Yugoslavia. I join in prayers for Natasha Singh and the devotee who has said she/he is losing Faith in God. What a coincidence that the Editor put in the question for the week regarding the significance of Radhabai Deshmukh's story - as what I had in mind to write to these two devotees dealt with the same thing. We all have gone to Baba as we have come to hear His great powers and most compassionate and merciful nature. Once we have gone to Him, all He asks is Faith and Patience - the two meagre things that involve no expenditure of any sort - but yet so difficult to give. Don't lose Faith, as that is the very thing He has asked of you, nothing else. Patience is when you continue your Faith unabated in times of great difficulty. He is not asking you to love Him, or do this or that, even to be good or pure. He is just saying "Depend on Me" , irrespective of your weaknesses and/or faults - He is asking people only to take from Him, not give anything at all. (How strange that we should find it so hard to take something from someone when in reality giving is more difficult than taking). How simple it is really which is why so many flock to this most loving and compassionate Baba of Shirdi. Don't ever doubt His infinite greatness or unbounded love. Let people say anything.

Baba said in one chapter in the Satcharita - believe what you see with your own eyes and not enquire and listen to others, think for yourself if your dream is true or not. (Lala Lakshmichand's story when he gets Baba in his dream and later enquires fellow passengers in the train about Baba). Baba has said that the path of Bhakti is not so easy - or else why would not everyone take to it ? - Most are like the mango blossoms that are blown away in the wind. Very few remain to become into the tasty fruit.

Don't wait to receive any "upadesh" or instruction from Him. Baba has said in the Radhabai's story, to make Him the sole focus of your heart and mind, and wait patiently and then see what He does. He said His Guru did not give Him any upadesh. Baba radiates His influence. And this can happen in a thousandth of a second. That is His method. He is like the mother tortoise and we are like Her little baby tortoises. She will always protect her children with the greatest and utmost care and tender love. She will do anything in her power and go through any amount of trouble for the sake of her children, even giving up her life if needed. Her loving glances are sufficient for the sustenance and nourishment for the babies. The children only need to remember their mother with feeling. Continuously listen to Baba's stories especially through the medium of music - it has the greatest effect. Store them in your heart and mind. Baba has said authoritatively that just repeat "Sai Sai" wholeheartedly and He will take you across safely. I sincerely hope to Baba that He will sustain Faith and provide solace to all devotees putting forward their grievances in the prayer club.
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Sai Activities

Please note the changes in the URL for the websites referred to us by Sri Gopalarao Ravada in Sai Vichaar dated June 3, 1999 The original URL should read as follows: Sai Vichaar apologizes for the inconvenience.
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/shird
http://homepages.infoseek.com/~dwarakamai/chavadi.html
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Prayer Club

Sridhar Rangaswamy, USA
I am strong devotee of SHIRDI SAI BABA and a regular subscriber of this newsletter. I require your help in praying for my American friend. Here is the extract from her email; "Hi Sridhar, So, how is it going? I have been in such a lousy mood lately... sorry if I haven't been that personable. My husband and I are not getting along very well. To be honest, he got a DUI. Do you know what that is? It is a ticket for Drinking and Driving. And he has lost his driver's license for at least 3 months, maybe longer. Needless to say, I am very upset. He got this about 3 weeks ago. I don't know what to do... Did I ever tell you that I got into a head on collision about three years ago with a drunk driver? Both cars were totaled and my back and neck was much messed up. I still have problems with my back and neck even now. There was at least $70,000 damage as a result of that accident. Last weekend in Moab was fun, but that is not reality. There are no concerns when you are away from home, or headaches. I don't know if I mentioned that my cousin (my Dad's sister's daughter) died about 3 weeks ago, too. She was only 41. She had breast cancer. So, I had to go to that funeral and that was not a very happy event either. My trip to Africa is only about 7 weeks away... I don't think that is soon enough. Perhaps you will have some great Hindu insight that you would like to send me to get me to snap out of this bad mood".
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