God is universal. God can not be contained to a particular boundary. God is our own perception, as individual as our own selves. Sainath of Shirdi is Lord Dattatreya for some. He reveals Himself as Jesus for others. He is Lord Shiva to many, while people of all religions and faith throng His abode in Shirdi. The expression used by devotees also vary as much as the individual experiences they have with Sai Baba.

Following is an excerpt from Sri. R. Parthasarathy’s work on Sainath titled "God who walked on earth":

A devotee wrote: "Sai Baba was a unique and perhaps one of the strangest of known spiritual personalities adorning the earth during recent times." But to millions of people today Sai Baba is more than a saint. He is God who lived on earth like Rama, Krishna, Jesus, and Buddha to promote human brotherhood, love and compassion and to instill faith and confidence and to inspire them to progress towards divinity which is vouchsafed to every man and woman. Aurobindo envisaged a time when man will become superman and then progress to divinity. Baba was such a personality who became God while being born as man. Like God his origins are mysterious, like God his powers are vast and like God he is immortal for although he has left his body he is still alive in his tomb and in the hearts and minds of millions of his devotees and in the shrines and temples built for him all over the country. He has become a part of the Hindu pantheon responding to cries for succor and protection from wherever it comes and taken the role of the guardian angel of those who fall at his feet and seek his guidance for a safe journey through the vale of tears which is this world.
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Experiences of Devotees

R. Badave, Ravivar Peth, Poona, India, on 27th August 1936

About 30 years ago, my father-in-law Mr. Vabale, then Vakil of Ahmednagar, was a great devotee of Sai Baba. I was a Badava or Poojari of Nevasa. I had one son, but several children were born to me before and after that had died young. My wife, child and I went at the instance of my father-in-law (who was a friend of Nanasaaheb Chandorkar) to Shirdi. My wife said nothing and none of us said anything about our grievances or prayer. My wife mentally prayed to Baba that children to be born later should not be short-lived but be healthy and long-lived. Baba places his palm over her head and said, “Have no anxieties’. Thereafter, I had only one daughter and three sons born to me and they are alive except one son who died at the age of 17. At that visit, Baba asked me for Dakshina. When I paid something he wanted more. This he repeated several times till my funds were practically exhausted. I wanted to give him one rupee more but somehow failed to give it. We returned and I told my wife about it. Some years later, I fell on bad days, my finances were very low and I was knocking from pillar to post getting little or nothing. Then my wife reminded me that I wished to pay Re 1to Sai Baba and had omitted to do so. At once, I sent Sai Baba Rupee one by money order. Since then the tide has turned. I have had good days and no financial difficulties. This was about 20 years ago. Baba was alive then. I came to Poona in 1914 and I am doing business as estate broker etc. My sons are doing good business here.

(from Devotees’ Experiences of Sai Baba by His Holiness Narasimhaswaamiji).
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Devotees say...

Rashmi Rao, New Delhi, India
(Originally posted on 3/19/1999)
Dear Sai devotees,
Jai Sai Ram. I am also a Sai devotee and visit the Chhattarpur temple at Delhi whenever Baba wishes so. I am doing my Masters in Applied Psychology. I have been blessed by Baba all through and can feel him to be a part of me. The experience at Shirdi in January was beautiful. We were a group of 100+ people. We were accompanied by our Gururji Shri Satpathy ji who is Sairoop for his devotees. Very fortunate are the ones who have been a 'kripapatra of his drishti'. I pray for his blessings on me and everyone else who so desires and deserves. Jai Sai Ram. Bow to Shri Sai. Peace be to all.

Mukesh
Jai Sai Rama
I am truly sorry for the late announcement but I am sure that you will all join me in congratulating our Sister Indrani who has given birth to a Baby Daughter. Both are well.

May Sainath grant them Love and happiness for the Baby was born Ram Navmi or just after.

I thank all who prayed for her.
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Article: How to Act

A contribution by Sri. Sundaresan

How to act in the present day world in concurrence with the teachings of Bhagwat Gita and Bhagwan Baba.

John F. Kennedy once told his son, " I don't mind you becoming a ditch digger, but I want you to be the best among them. So it does not matter what we do, but what really matters is how we do it.

When Arjuna stood bewildered at the crossroads of karma yoga and GYana yoga and asked Lord Krishna if the path of knowledge was superior to that of action why he has been asked to pursue the path of action. This question was not only raised by Arjuna but it also lingers in our minds at all times. If we analyze our actions carefully more than actions per se it is the fear of the adverse results of our actions that prevents us from performing. As mentioned in Bhagawat Gita the three paths of Karma yoga, Bhakthi yoga and GYana yoga is like a spiritual triangle of life which is explained in the chart below.

The spiritual triangle is shown in the above chart. The 3 sides of the triangle are Karma yoga, Bhakthi yoga and Gyana Yoga. The apex of the triangle is realization of Godhead. The three paths take you to the same destination but adapting different course.
Bhagwan Baba says about the three paths as 3 "W" s. Karma yoga as Work ; Bhakti yoga as Worship ; GYana yoga as Wisdom. He says, Work is for the physical level ; Worship is for the mental level ; Wisdom is for the spiritual level. i.e. Karma yoga for Hands ; Bhakthi yoga for Heart ; GYana yoga for Heart.

Now let us see all these three paths in detail.

The path of GYana is like that of first class journey with maximum comfort but the price to be paid is very high. To see the divinity in all and to realize that the same Lord is present in everyone inclusive of the person you don't like is a Himalayan task for all of us. Here the great scripture Gita that has been passed on to us through ages from sages comes in handy to correct our vision. We can focus our vision properly only if we develop the right attitude.

" Vidyaa vinaya sampanne brahmane gavi hastini
Shuni caiva shvapaake ca panditaah sama darshinah "

meaning the wise looks at a Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog and an outcaste with equal vision. i.e. He treats all of them equally and sees no discrimination between them.

How do we see the Lord in every one? Does it mean that the Lord will appear in front of us and say that I am the Lord here? No... not like that.

Once there was a big flood in Madras. I know it is a very rare incident but still it happened. A person was standing in water up to his knees. Some people came in a boat and said, "Get in." He said, "Oh, No need, the Lord will take care of me." A few minutes later, the water comes up to his waist level. Another boat comes by; they say, "Get in." He again says, "Don't worry, the Lord will take care " Now he's on the roof. The water is up to his neck. A helicopter comes by and offers help. Again he says, "Thank you for the help but the Lord will take care of me." Well, he drowned. He gets up in Heaven, he meets the Lord, and he asks, "What happened? Why didn't you come to save me?" The Lord says, "I don't know what happened but I sent two boats and a helicopter for you."

So for people like us even when the Lord appears in front of us we will not be able to recognize Him. But Deivam Manusha Rupena. Lord is there everywhere and in everyone and also within us. There is no need for us to seek the Lord outside like the musk deer. Like fragrance in a flower God is right inside us. Just like the ash that covers the fire on the charcoal the impurities in us cover the divinity. The Lord alone by His compassion and Grace can wipe out our ignorance and reveal Himself.

Gyana is the cure for all diseases.

Once a father asked his son what is 8x9. The son said 62. The father said very good and gave him a chocolate. His friend came and said, " Oh.! it is wrong. 8x9 is not 62 but 82. For this the father said, " Doesn't matter. Yesterday he said 52. Today he is telling 62. So everyday he is improving and gaining knowledge."

But for gaining real GYana, Sadhana and Bhakthi are essential ingredients. The eternal vision of oneness of all cannot be attained without His grace. Devotion is the oil and Divine Grace is the fire with which the lamp of wisdom can be lit. Devotion and dedication are the fruits. When they ripen they become the sweet sustaining juice called wisdom.

Next one is the bhakti marg, which is very comfortable, and it is like a second class journey. All we have to do is to surrender ourselves with unconditional and selfless love towards the Lord.

Why should we surrender to the Lord?

"Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattaa: sarvam pravartate" The Lord is not only the origin of all creations but is also responsible for all activities which happen in this universe. Once this knowledge is well established that the Lord is everything and we are nothing then the Lord becomes the centrifugal force of all our actions. This concentration towards the Lord should blossom into ananya bhakti.

Bhakti or devotion is as essential for experiencing Godhead as blood is essential for the body. It should be practiced constantly, continuously and consistently like that of Hanuman, Meera Bai, Gora Kumar etc. Having attained Devotion a devotee cares for nothing. He neither hates nor grieves. He always remains in Bliss in constant remembrance of the Lord.

The Lord Himself tells,

" Ananyaash cintayantomaam ye janaah paryupaasate
Teshaam nityaabhi yuktaanaam yoga keshemam vahaamyaham"

Which means "To those people who worship Me alone, thinking of nothing else, who are ever devoted, I will provide welfare and security i.e. yogakshemam"

Lord mentions that for pure and steadfast devotees He gives them the buddhi, the intuitive knowledge through which they reach Him. The Lord will show His presence and protect His devotees for which we have sufficient examples in our scriptures.

Narayana Prasad was a great devotee of Lord Jaganath of Puri. Once he was so immersed in singing bhajans that he did not have food for three days. The Lord took mercy upon him and sent him food. Narayana prasad opened his eyes and saw a golden plate with a variety of dishes. He thanked the God and ate the food and slept away. When he got up he saw 4 soldiers surrounding him. They accused him as a thief who had stolen the golden plate from the palace and took him to the King. The king ordered him to be whipped. But nothing happened to Narayana prasad and all the while he was continuously singing the bhajans. They stopped whipping him and drove him out of the palace.

In the night the king had a dream in which he saw blood oozing out from the Lord's waist. Immediately he woke up and opened the door of the temple and saw the blood dripping from the image of Lord. The king realized his mistake.

This shows that the Lord takes upon Himself the devotee's problems and shows His munificence (benevolence) towards them. The recent incident, which took place in Puttaparthi, reiterates the same concept. Baba took upon himself the injury of the students. Otherwise the students would have suffered.

Baba further says, Let all your actions be suffused with Bhakthi - that is humility, love, sacrifice and surrender. It is very well illustrated in the following verse of Gita.

" man manaa bhava madbhakto madyaajimaam namasguru
maam evaishyasi yuktvaivam aatmaanam mat paraayanah : "

Fixing the mind and surrendering to the Lord, one can reach Him.

The thoughts shape our life. We are what we are because of our thoughts. If the thoughts are noble and divine, we become noble and divine. The Divine does not reside in wood, or in stone. But it lives in Faith; therefore, Faith is the origin of Bhakti.

Once a man was walking in the mountains and suddenly he slipped and fell. While falling down he grabbed a branch of a tree. He was full of fear and terribly afraid.

He cried out for help continuously but in vain.

Finally a deep and serene voice replied, "Yes, I'm here."

"Who is it?"

"It's God."

"Can you help me?"

"Yes, I can."

"Please help me then!"

"Leave your hands"

Looking around, the man became full of panic and said, "What?!?!"

"First leave your hands and then I will catch you."

The man lost all his hope and asked, " Oh God, Is there anyone else there?"

Our faith is also wavering like this. Once we surrender ourselves to the supreme head we need not bother what will happen to us and the Lord will take care of us. (to be continued)
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