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Sai Vichaar 01.Feature of the Week: Arati 02.Contributed Article: Bhakthi and Alwars 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... Sai Vichaar wishes Sydney Sai Sansthan a grand success with Sai Utsav Australia being celebrated this week. May Sadguru Sai's love be glorified as the land down under is preparing for the unique event, first of its kind to take place there. Please refer to Sai Activities section for more details. Sai centers and devotees are also requested make a note about the upcoming Sai Utsav 2001 in London, UK in August 2001. Please visit www.shirdisaiutsav.org for more details. Sai Utsav 2001 is also publishing an International Shirdi Sai Baba Souvenir. Sai centers and devotees carrying out Sai activities are requested to contact Sai Utsav 2001 to have the details of their activities published in the souvenir. Devotees wishing to participate in Sai satsangs most often do not have any information on Sai centers and temples in their neighborhood. To be able to spread Sai message, it is important that such information be made available to everyone. In this regard, the International Souvenir at Sai Utsav 2001 presents a very good opportunity. Sai Vichaar strongly hopes that various Sai satsangs and devotees having regular Sai activities and groups will use this opportunity. "Sai in Vidyaadaanam" is a new activity proposed by Saidarbar. This activity involves providing material help to poor but deserving students for pursuing their academic goals. Please support this noble cause by involving in this activity. For more details, contact saibanisa@yahoo.com. Sai devotee Pran Razdan suggested the "Question of the Week" as follows: Kaamais tais tair hrta-jnaanaah
Interpretation of this shloka as given in "Bhagvat Gita As it is" by Swami Prabhupada is "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures". The emphasis according to this interpretation is on praying to the Supreme Lord Krishna and not others called demigods. We call Sai as Saikrishna and believe that through Him we can attain the spiritual freedom and become one with the Absolute. "Why is therefore a distinction made here between Supreme Lord and other gods and who are demigods?" Humbly Yours, The Editor
Disclaimer Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same. Sai Vichaar team or the Shirdi Sai Baba web site organization is not
responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.
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Feature of the week:
Arati
One of the primary forces of Guru worship is Arati, outpourings of love and prayer from the disciple to Sadguru, in the form of lyrics and song. Arati has the power to heal, to transform, and to spiritually elevate anyone who partakes of its ambrosia. Arati is mantra sound, possessing the power to lift a devotee into the skies of the inner spaces. It can open fragrance chambers more intoxicating to the heart than the most expensive perfumes. It can leave one's consciousness suspended in a point of silence between the incoming and the outgoing breath, which is the doorway to the miracle of Guru worship. We sing Arati praises to Avadhoota Sainath, with words and songs created by Sri Bhishma, who composed his devotional lyrics as an offering of nourishment, when Babaji asked him for sweetmeats. The lyrics and songs of Das Ganu, Upasni, and others, are added to compose a river of Grace flowing directly from a devotee's heart to the ears of the Master. Within these lyrics, are keys to uncovering the Spirit. These keys reveal the sanctity of the earth on which the Master of Shirdi walked. Imagine the love Sai Baba and His devotees had for the Saints of Maharashtra. Imagine this love while singing praises to Sainath, garlanding him with adornments of Sant Tukaram, Sant Namdev, Sant Jani, Sant Kabir, as well as the presiding Deities; homage to beings, who are part of a vast centuries old tradition of Siddhas, whose life stories, forms of worship, and teachings, would make even the greatest among us feel like specks of dust under His feet. This is Gurushaktipat, transferred through the Arati of Sai Baba of Shirdi. The tradition, the teachings, the methodology, the discipline, is all
left as keys hidden in the simplicity of Shirdi Sai Marg. We can uncover
as much as we wish. The Master's treasures are as limitless as the
individual capacity of each seeker who comes to Him. Aum Rajadhiraja
Yogiraja! Aum Sai Ram!
Contributed Article: Bhakthi and Alwars
India is a spiritual land and great saints and realized souls are born
in this country. While every part of India is unique for its spiritual
splendor, South India probably has a significant special place for
several reasons. It has devotees of Shiva who follow Advaita and
proponents of Dwaita and Vishistadvaita also in south India. South India
produced the founders of these three systems of philosophy or schools of
thought - Sankara, Ramanuja and Mardhwa. We may add that worship of
Krishna was also initiated by Vallabhacharya of South India.
The history of various Saivite saints is described in Peria Puranam
while the lives and works of Vaishnavite saints are embodied in Divya
Prabandham. The saints of Vaishnavite group are called ALWARS. The
system of Vaishnava philosophy had no distinction of sex and caste.
Andal is greatest devotee of Narayana and sang about her love and
marriage to the Lord. Bhakthi and prapatti self surrender, was her life
breath. Similarly, her father Periaalwar, Satagopa, and others are
beacons of light that took devotees of Narayana to saloka, sameepya, and
sayujya- to his abode, and to the merger with Him.
Among the Alwars, Satagopa is embodiment of devotion to his guru. He
considered his guru as God and sometimes considered him as greater than
god. Madhura kavi spent all his time with his guru, and recorded the
mystic experiences in melodious poetry. While Rama and Lakshmana were in
the woods as per the command of their father, Shatrugna the youngest
brother of Rama was devoted to Bharata and through him worshipped Rama.
Simalarly, Madhura kavi worshipped his guru surrendering his ego at the
feet of his guru and through the guru he realized God. He had postulated
the efficacy and potency of acharya Bhakthi by speaking the glory and
greatness of guru and how the acharya, the guru, can redeem the soul of
the devotee from samsara. He wrote eleven verses describing the grace
and compassion of his guru and how through his blessings he obtained the
grace of lord Narayana. He described in these poems how guru corrected
him from errors and molded him into a true bhakta leading to liberation.
May we pray to our guru Shri Shirdi SAI Maharaj to bless his devotees by
correcting them and by his grace and love take us to divinity. As
Bhagavad-Gita starts, starting with great desire for his grace, let us
get interested in realizing Baba completely and finally merge into him.
OMSAI RAM.
M. Alaparthy
In Shirdi, we went for the afternoon arthi and we could not make into the main mandir because of the crowd. We were thinking Baba did not want us in his Darbar. We then went to the Sandhya Arthi and we could make into his darbar. We were pushed to a place were we had a very clear view of Baba. Also, when we were in the line for the auspicious Maha Samadhi, we were asked by the guard not to proceed for a few minutes. At that time, we were first in the line. We had Baba's Darshan for full 10mins. They were giving naivedhyam to Baba. We had the fortune of having the naivedhyam when they got the same to Dwarakamayi. Only few people could get that. This thrilled us. Next time we went to Dwarakamayi, Baba's prasad came again, we fed that to our baby, and that was the start for the solids. It was our prayers to Baba and He kindly blessed our child and us. We came back from Shirdi and it was time for the function. We first took
our baby to Baba's temple and had the ceremony there. It was almost time
for the afternoon arathi. The temple was crowded. However, there was
still half-hour to go but the baby was cranky and we had to leave. I
prayed to Baba that I would attend his arathi the coming week without
fail and felt bad for leaving right before that. The coming week, early
Thursday morning, I had a dream where I was in Shirdi, I was rushing
somewhere, and a voice told me "Rush fast If you miss this time, you
will not be able to make it for the arathi". I woke up. That weekend we
were going to start back to US and yes, if I missed that, I will not be
able to make it. It was a Thursday and I thought can make it for Sandhya
Arathi. We went to temple to attend arathi. It was about to start and a
guard asked us move aside. As the crowd started pushing we ended up
right in front of Baba. I was so very happy that Baba made me go to the
arathi. These are few of the experiences in out trip. We had a safe trip
back. All through the journey, our baby was at her sweetest temper. Even
in that temperature in India, my husband fell sick for couple of days
but the baby was just fine. Thanks to Baba for being with us all the
time. This trip made us feel closer to Baba. Baba, Please be with all of
us guiding us to go in right path. Peace be to all and may Baba shower
his grace on everyone. Believe him, HE will be there for you. OM SAI SRI
SAI JAYA JAYA SAI.
Praveen - Email: gramapraveen@hotmail.com
When you talk to Geethamma, she suddenly starts talking to the most beautiful Baba's murthi, she has at home. Baba tells her everything about us, and we cannot hide anything from her. Dear Sai devotees, I will keep writing about Baba's leelas as explained to me by Geethamma. My family was blessed at being fed by her. Her guru is Raghavendra Swami
of Mantralyam, but, as I mentioned, she is Shirdi Baba's mother in her
previous life. She will be building a temple for him. That is what has
been ordained for her. In the meantime, she is doing a glorious service
by feeding poor people. I will post more of my experiences soon.
Sai Utsav 2001 - Sydney
"How can I ever be grateful enough to the Saints? They keep me awake continuously. Oh Lord, how will I ever be able to pay off this debt? If I sacrificed my life at their feet, it would be insufficient. Their conversation is always enlightening. Instructing me is quite arduous. Tuka says, As a cow meditates on her calf, so do they watch over me." - Renditions of Sant Tukaram of Dehu 
Back to Menu Q.Sai devotee Pran Razdan suggested the "Question of the Week" as follows: Kaamais tais tair hrta-jnaanaah
Interpretation of this shloka as given in "Bhagvat Gita As it is" by Swami Prabhupada is "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures". The emphasis according to this interpretation is on praying to the Supreme Lord Krishna and not others called demigods. We call Sai as Saikrishna and believe that through Him we can attain the spiritual freedom and become one with the Absolute. "Why is therefore a distinction made here between Supreme Lord and other
gods and who are demigods?"
Sai Utsav 2001 - Sydney Australia
Saidarbar, Hyderabad, India
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