Feature of the week: Is there a substitute to a Guru?

The concept of Guru is unique. With careful observation, one might appreciate the existence of the concept of Guru in every way of life, in one form or the other. This includes all civilizations and cultures mankind has seen thus far. Could there be a substitute to Guru? If we can say that books can substitute teacher, we could probably say that one needs no Guru. Let us not forget that such a conviction should also precede an assumption that everyone can read!

Could exercises such as meditation or performing a ritual compensate the benefits of having a Guru? Experiences can be felt or realized through several sources. However, pursuit of such an experience without the right objective does not constitute a spiritual experience. On the other hand, it may just be a temporary state of well being, without any permanent gains. Exercises such as meditation have been scientifically proven to exert a positive influence on the human mind and body. Several great men have practiced and preached different ways of such activities. However, temporary spurts of feeling good do not lead to any permanent transformations. This is evident from the rate with which such phenomenon have arrived and vanished. One reason for the failure to accomplish any thing major through these exercises may be the fact that enough importance is not placed on the importance of completely understanding the concept of Guru.

Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji during a discourse challenged, "Is it possible to meditate upon something unseen or unheard?". How many of us can truthfully do this? If this could be possible, then where is the necessity for Guru, for the objective of a meditation is the merger of meditator and the object meditated upon. Human intellect responds to attributes that it can easily relate to. Such an object makes the pursuit of the unknown easier. In fact, it becomes absolutely necessary for some, given the frivolous nature of the mind. Reference to Satan in some religions and Maya in some others probably indicate the same predicament.

The necessity for a Guru is well explained in scriptures. Guru’s manifold functions, and the fact that Guru is the closest to God one can experience is also well illustrated. Realization that Guru is none other than God and He is nothing but the all pervading conscious, is truly a blissful experience. We find several examples for this phenomenon in Sri Sai Satcharitha including the episode of Madrasi Bhajani Mela and Dr. Pandit. Who might say that there is no need for Guru? The Guru Himself? How could a soul that personifies humility and modesty say such a thing? Baba said always, "Allah Malik, God is Great!" and yes, He Himself has referred to His Guru many a times!
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Experiences of Devotees

MRK, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Mrs. Manager used to stay at Shirdi attending on Saibaba. She used to sit near Baba. One day, sitting at a distance, she saw a leper climb stairs with difficulty and place a packet before Baba and went out crawling due to his indisposition. Mrs. Manager expressed a sigh of relief as the leper left the place, Baba directed somebody to call back the leper. He came back with a packet, placed it before Baba, made obescience and left. Baba opened the packet and directed Manager to eat the pedha (a type of sweetmeat) in it. She had a great revulsion to pedha as it was given by leper, but she could not disobey Baba and ate the pedha. Baba himself ate another piece from the packet. This incident is a specific instance to Manager. Baba knowing that she very strictly follows rules of sanitation and principles of health, taught her how to have full faith in one's guru and follow instructions strictly, irrespective of external rules. Later, Mrs Manager realized that Baba taught her faith, discipline and cured her of her ego’s frivolities. This incident stresses the importance of faith and obedience to Sadguru as against orthodoxy.

Ravinder Thota, Canada
This is my personal honest experience to-day with Lord Sai Ardent devotee who helped me in securing a job after 2.5 years in Canada. One-day while I happen to browse through the internet of Sai Vichaar newsletter , I came across an ardent devotee of Lord Sai who had narrated his personal experiences with Lord Saibaba. I was thrilled to go through the same. He is no other than anyone who is well known to-day in SaiVichaar frequent articles appearances of great Sri Ravada Gopal Rao .
Sri Ravada Gopal Rao garu had exactly predicted my occurrence and also narrated my interviewer in Canada from his abode of Lord Sai. in Secunderabad,India.
I was shocked to listen to his exact narration. His said that while I was interviewing in Canada for a job Lord SaiBaba has appreared before him and Sri Ravada Gopal Rao knew exactly what was happening here. I called up to his residence to convey my good news of the interview after a week. He narrated the whole incident as if he himself was present for my job interview. He is really a messenger of Lord Saibaba who has never hurt anyone till now.
I recommend those who has got problems of any nature, kindly contact Sri Ravada Gopal Rao either e-mail or telephone saibanisa@yahoo.com or tel:0091-40-7123296 My salutations to Sri Ravada Gopal Rao who had shown me ray of hope in life with the teachings of Lord Sai Shraddha and Saburi.
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Sai Activities

Sai BaNiSa, Hyderabad, India
SAI SANDESH FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER-99 REF: http://www.saidarbar.com Dear Sai bandhus, Pranams to all. It gives me lot of pleasure to see the growth of "SAIDARBAR" from a small home page in" INFO SEEK" started way back during the month of January 1999 to our present position. The fact that we are able to perform activities in our own website is not possible but for the blessings of LORD SAI NATH and the good responsive viewer ship. How should the site look like in the coming millennium is the question, which shall has to be addressed to all of us, both individually and collectively. Mean while I request the continued cooperation and valuable suggestions are welcome in that direction at: saibanisa@yahoo.com. Your opinions on the newly introduced pages - Sairam's and Ardent devotes are awaited. Many viewers have responded positively to the Experiences numbered 19 and 20 and came to know the importance of 15th chapter. Sai also helps in fulfilling very funny desires too and Saibanisa's experience numbered 20 is an ideal example where many comments were received in that line. SAIBANISA'S experiences feature comes to an end with experiences 21 which high light as to how and when I was named Saibanisa and experience numbered 22. The main idea behind all these activities is to spread the message that -You earnestly address him in times of distress and undoubtedly the call is answered. The site is run with voluntary services from those behind as mentioned earlier. However, your contributions are welcome to sustain its growth and to serve you all better. For further details you may contact: Saibanisa@yahoo.com

SAI SANDESH FOR THE MONTH "Prince or a Pauper, all need the same kind of food for survival and giver is none other than "PARABRAHMAH". This truth is almost known to every body, still people waste their energies and time valuable in running from pillar to post for positions and luxuries endlessly. I shall show you the path to reach the ultimate i.e. Parabrahmah. It is up to you to realize and share the bliss with all once achieved" - Shiridi Sai 27-11-1999.

Monthly Pooja, Shirdi Sai Samsthan USA, Warrenville, IL
Shirdi Sai Samsthan USA has scheduled its monthly pooja on December 26, 1999 at Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir, Warrenville, IL. The Program is as follows:
9.00 AM Kakada Arti
9.30 AM Abhishek, Ashtothra Pooja, Bhajans and Kirtans
12.00 PM Madhyahna Arti
12.30 PM Maha Prasad

Shri Shirdi Saibaba Mandir, Warrenville, IL, is located at 27W 321 Butterfield Road, Warrenville, IL, 60555. The Telephone number for the Mandir is 630-653-4444. For directions and more information please contact one of the following:
Umapathi Cattamanchi - 708-448-3016
Nagabhushanam Koneru - 847-346-0641
Ananth Sonti - 630-858-2643
Manju Panjwani - 847-677-6654
Jitendra Shelke - 773-465-5605
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Devotees Say

Prasad
Sairam, I have took a major decision as per your advice four months back, which made me to land right into lot of troubles. Then I seriously thought why you gave me wrong advice, which caused me troubles. Because, earlier I was living little peacefully compared to present. Now I regret for that feeling and take it back completely. Please forgive me even for thinking like that as I was not able understand your leelas and have overcome by MAYA. Now, I know the reasons behind your leelas. Oh GuruGod you are so great your leelas are so broad that human beings cannot understand them unless they are deep in to the spiritual life. Only because of these troubles, I was able to do three Sai SatCharita Saptahs and two Guru Charaitra Saptahs in three months which boosted my spiritual life a lot which is millions of times worth for having these temporary troubles and made me come closer to you and better understand the MAYA. The same happened with my wife too as you made her to do Saptahs. This also improved my way of looking at things happening in the daily life. Also, I cannot repay you for clearing all the troubles. Each time I read SatCharita, I came to know about new things, which will lead my life in a peaceful path.

Each and every trouble in everybody's life is because of the relationship with that situation may be in earlier birth or the current one. So hard to be out of the troubles. Just think of those as Sri Sai leelas and don't get upset about the situation, try to understand it and have complete faith in GuruGod who knows the reason behind it. By having complete trust in GuruGod, you can always expect only good things happen to you. Even the problem you currently have will bring good to you eventually. Just have complete trust in GuruGod and patience, which are two required pice (coins). Never ever, repent under any circumstances. For example, if some body treats you bad, do not try to do the same to doer. If you do the same thing to doer, your account will be debited by same event to happen to you either in this birth or the later to come which will become an endless loop this reminds me of the story in Sri SaiSatcharita of Veera Bhadrappa and Chenna Basappa. So, think of beautiful stories from Sai SatCharita in any event of trouble or pain. Treat it as the cleanser of your sins and accept it and thus you can keep calm with out repenting on others under all circumstances. Each time you do this your account will be credited of a pain or a trouble and you will finally lead towards Moksha.

Bhima and Mary
Dear Editor: Thank you for your hard work in presenting all of us with this newsletter! Please forward this to the devotee with vitiligo. Sister, What a wonderful dream that Baba has blessed you with! How often is it that we fail to see God's Love for us? By speaking of suicide feelings, you are speaking of harming God, as Baba has told you in your dream! Please know that you are loved by all Sai family. My wife has an illness that keeps her remote and away from Chemicals. She too speaks of suicide on occasion, I believe this is normal when one is set apart in some way. Just don't act on this feeling... Think of it as Storm, it will pass! You are not alone, reach out to others with the same illness. You will be surprised! I have Hepatitis-C and the treatment has disabled me too! I also feel despair sometimes but I am also blessed with a wonderful wife who loves and supports me, like you have a husband, who loves and supports you. And I would like to add as I am sure you have already heard "To make a Diamond requires a lot of heat and pressure, for a long time" but in the end you will be laughing for all the divine grace that you received! You will be in our prayers.

Veena Gupta, New Delhi, India
On this Thursday, 2nd December '99 not much happened. It was the usual Thursday. As a matter of fact Baba`s Miracles have become a routine of life for us. If no miracle happens on Thursday or the important day we feel depressed. In the morning Udi started coming out from the photo and the statue of Baba in our worship place in the kitchen. But the quantity of Udi was not very much. It was less than a spoonful this time instead of 5-6 spoonful. As usual as we do on all Thursdays before reciting the Sai Amritvani we placed bananas for prasad on the table. Recited Sai Amritvani from 11.00 to 12.00 and at the time of distribution of prasad we found, as usual Udi sprinkled on the bananas. But this time we found some drops of water on the Thali (the utensils in which the bananas were kept) on tasting the drops it was salty. What is the meaning of this? We could not find any satisfactory answer for this. One answer we could arrive at, was that Baba wants salty thing in prasad rather than sweets or fruits. Next time we may serve Baba with some salty prasad.

Seema
Om Sai Ram Can you please help me find information on the Sai temple in Bridgewater, New Jersey? There used to be a wonderful potrait and a moorti had arrived from Shirdi. I used to visit it but when I went back recently after a gap of a few months, the doors were closed and there was a note saying "No Baba activity here" Has it moved? If so where is it? Hope you can help me because I asked Baba to help me find Him.

Soma
Dear fellow devotees, SaiRam. How can one person be in many people at the same time and influence them? I was wondering how this omnipresence of SAI happens. It is easy to say by words and it is hard to believe of how it happens. I know as many people will be surprised of how swami travels. Swami says Love is his form and truth is his breath. His life is his message and expansion is his life. Prema, Sathya, Ananda, Santhi, Dharma, Ananda. Whoever has unconditional Love and live like swami becomes closer to swami and behaves like swami. As swami says his life is his message, we should live like swami. That should be our goal. Living like swami is the challenge we have to take. Different people are at different levels and different levels of swami in different people. More divine people look and behave like swami. So we find different people in different countries just like swami. And they are swami too. Because this omnipresence of love is true. Love lives everywhere. People realizing themselves as swamy will get liberated. With the song of Baba Prema Muthitha Mansu kapo Rama Rama Ram I conclude this omnipresence. SAI RAM Ram Ram Ram Sai Ram.
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Question of the Week

"How to view religion?"

Suresh
I feel that all religions are but paths which lead to the one and supreme being. This supreme being is called by various names by people belonging to various times,climes or places.The water of a river is called pani by the muslims. The hindus call it jal at another ghat.The christians call it water at yet another place. Does the essential nature of water change by giving it these various names?As is the case with water so is the case with the supreme being. He answers by any name that you care to call him by. The only thing He asks of you is love.Indeed love is the only way to realise Him.
Sai Baba always stressed the oneness of all religions. He never tolerated any display of religious chauvinism and fanatism by any of his bhaktas. Any one who met Him was forever changed in to a pious individual who was always tolerant and respectful of all religions. We as Sai bhaktas should therefore practice what BABA preached.

Raghu Vissamraju
With the nectar of Sai-Vichaar filled in the hearts and experiencing the true love, faith and devotion of so many devotees one can visualise what is the true religion. We see so many brothers, sisters from different human made religions like Christianity, Muslim, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Buddhism etc are reading Sai-Vichaar and enjoying the pure love, faith and devotion that is commonly shared amongst world wide devotees. But it is very unfortunate that still in the world there is frequent flare up of enmity and hatred between two different religions and leading to killing of so many innocent people. I pray Baba to give them true vision as to what is a religion and what should we really feel about the fellow beings. I feel very upset with these ignorant people wasting the time and their life fighting and arguing for their religions, instead of utilising the time for their self realisation. Can any one tell which religion does Baba belong to? With Baba's inspiration I understand that each religion is a path by itself to reach the Almighty. They are like different routes or roads to reach the ultimate goal. I personally know some friends of mine who are very pious and devotional in their hearts, but they cannot welcome a person of different religion visiting their house. Even today while we are entering 20th Century, we can find untouchability and hatred to certain communities in almost all parts of India. Baba himself spent all his life in spreading equality between Hindu and Muslim religions, but we can still see frequent conflicts between these two communities in the world. So it is not the God who has created this religions it is the humans who has complicated the lives creating barriers with so many religions, castes and creeds forgetting the true essence of Baba's message in his life. Just to tell what I personally feel about religion is that my wife is a Christian and I am a Hindu. I go to Church with her and she visits temple with me. While I read Sai-Sacharithra every day sitting next to her, she reads Bible with same faith. She saw Jesus in Sai and I see Sai in Jesus. I am trying to install a feeling of equality in the minds of my Children for all the religions in the world.
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Prayer Club

Rajalakshmi
I really pray to Baba to solve my problems which is being prolonged years together. I really bow to his feet and shower the blessings to me and to my family.
Always under the feet of Baba

Vijay
We are Sai devotees from many years. Our Baba has helped us a lot and he is still doing. With his grace, our family has come to one stage in so many ways.

Still, we are facing with one major problem, I know by Baba's blessing and the prayers from our devotees even this problem will be solved like lifting a flower garland. We came to know yesterday that my Mother has got Cancer; she is the one I like most in the world.

I want all Sai devotees to pray and help her to come out of this health problem & lead better life with all of our. If any of the Sai Devotees would like to know more details, please get in touch with me my mail for further information.
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