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Sai Vichaar 01.Feature of the Week: Outcry of the Indiscriminate! 02.Contributed Article: To Grieve or not to Grieve! 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... Saibaba.org has received several requests from Sai Chitra Yatra anchor homes to extend Chitra Yatra. To accommodate the necessities of devotees wanting to host the Sai Chitra Yatra, the Chitra Yatra is extended through this winter. If you have any questions, please contact maildrop@saibaba.org. Sai Vichaar is being sent to thousands of devotees across the globe via email. Recently, Sai Vichaar experienced a technical snag as more number of emails had bounced and needed to be re-sent. This is due to reasons including change of email Ids of devotees or lack of enough memory at the receiver’s end. Devotees are requested to notify Sai Vichaar of any change in their email Ids or other changes with the Internet provider. Another option would be to subscribe for Sai Vichaar using the new email ID. Devotees are also requested to make sure that they have enough computer memory to be able to receive Sai Vichaar, regularly, every week. Archives of Sai Vichaar can be accessed through “What’s New” section of this web site. Sai devotee Prasad V Nimmagadda proposed the following “Question of the week”. Q. During a questioning session related to a robbery, Sri Sai indicated his religion to be Kabir religion. What is the significance of Kabir religion? 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 saibaba.org is not
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 Feature of the week: Outcry of the Indiscriminate! Tumhaasee jaagawoo aamhi aapulya chaada – Baba aapulya chaada
We shall wake you up for our own needs to destroy the torment that is ours due to our fate, caused by our good or bad actions – Sant Tukaram Maharaj How easy is the discrimination between real and unreal, good and bad, right and wrong and the doable and the undoable? Words of the wise have always insisted that one should show discrimination between what is good and what is bad for us. Discrimination requires knowledge and by insisting on discrimination, a definite even if minor significance is placed on the necessity of knowledge to seek Sadguru. However, surrounded by the tigers and the wolves, is it an easy task? How does one know whether a particular thing is right or wrong? On the other hand, is it possible for anyone to know all the rights from the wrongs? Can anyone assure that knowledge itself can help complete the process of discrimination? The path shown by Sai says that strong faith coupled with devotion is enough to win the grace of Sadguru who guides one not only in the worldly pursuits but also in the spiritual path. God of the destitute, Saibaba of Shirdi has shown that simple devotion shown to him with pure heart is enough to win his grace. The devotee need not fall into the trap of trying to separate rights from the wrongs for such a pursuit is not possible in one’s lifetime. Sant Tukaram Maharaj captures the same thoughts in his Abhang composition in Sainath Maharaj’s Shej Aarthi, where he asks the Lord to rescue him from the consequences of actions that are not only good but also bad! This is one sign of complete surrender at the feet of Sadguru with the strongest conviction that whatever is retained is only the good!
Contributed Article: To Grieve or not to Grieve!
It is imperative that each soul that has taken birth on this earth as a human being or any other species continue its journey upon death after its time is up. No one can escape from the clutches of death when the time comes. Death is a difficult subject and very hard for us to deal with. People rather attach their mind to something else and try to shift their focus away from this unchanging principle of nature. Only when one sees the reality of death very closely, it dawns on the living that all of our time is limited and short on this earth.
Dealing with someone's loss is a very difficult and trying for a lot of people. Shri Sai openly lamented at the passing away of his beloved devotee Megha in front of the villagers to express solidarity and not look indifferent at the passing away of Megha. He went about his daily rounds after the funeral was over. Did Shri Sai leave his inner composure and Samadhi state when expressing such outward behavior? Absolutely not! The same Sainath told Tatya, upon the death of his mother, that death is an imminent principle and asked him to show one home in the entire world where there has been no death. Shri Sai used different ways and means to communicate
with his devotees as circumstances demanded. But in the end what does HE do at his own passing away? He asks Shri Shamsuddin Baba to come and do Qawali and asks Shri Das Ganu to come and sing bhajans at his Samadhi. So there was Qawali and bhajans, followed by regular arathis and pooja as though he was still sitting there upon his attainment of mahasamadhi.
Saints recognize that departure of soul from this body is liberation rather than death. The soul entrapped in this body and shrouded with Senses and pulled by the ever dominating Maya is always looking for an escape. For spiritually advanced souls, this passing to the other side calls for a celebration! For us mortals who fear death, it makes us so unprepared that when someone close to us dies, it shatters our lives, faith and much more. On the occasion of this Baba's Mahasamadhi, we can all take a lesson from Shri Sai's life on how to deal with death in our own lives and the lives of our loved ones.
(Contributed by: Sai Vichaar Team)
A Sai devotee It was on Sept, 07,2002 Smt. Veena Guptaji and Sai devotees arrived Toronto by car from Baltimore, Washington. Immediately on arrival to Toronto, Mr.Ashok Kumarji left a voice message on my phone the same night but somehow I missed to retrieve this message on the phone. Next day I was supposed to go to work in the morning at 7 A.M. But for the first time, I overslept and missed my job on that day. Again, It was at 9.30 a.m., Mr. Ashok Kumarji rang up and informed me that Smt. Veena Guptaji arrived Toronto. Well, I took their address and rushed to meet her where she was staying at one of their known friends. I was late by an hour to reach their place. Smt. Veena Guptaji was eagerly waiting for me to bring her to my new home to bless. However, we chatted for sometime, she had other scheduled program and said that she cannot make it at this hour to come to my place. She told me that she is a guest of some one; hence, it is her obligation to meet their requests. With much of consultation with other hosts, we arrived at a mutual time to meet Smt. Veena Guptaji and her Sai Associate at my place in the evening. Smt. Veena Guptaji arrived our place at 8.30 p.m. We had visitors who were eagerly waiting since an hour to take blessing of Didiji She asked me at 9.30 p.m. if we can start our prayer. Then I directed her to our Prayer Room upstairs. There was a divine fragrance as she stepped into my prayer room. She saw our Divine Pictures, Photo frames and Baba Idol sitting on the rock in the North East corner of the table. She herself said it is not the right position to place Baba on the Table. She shifted it right in the middle of the table. She arranged Baba Idol and the rest of the Photo pictures, she asked my daughter to arrange accordingly. She was lighting Jyothi, coincident our tape recorder switched to "Deepavaali Mana ye ge ..." Smt Veena Gupta ji asked me whether I have time for the complete Aarthi Prayer or Short Main Prayer. I said we would have short prayer. Smt. Veena Guptaji performed brief Main Aarthi Prayer in my room to Baba and distributing Mixed nuts and Misri Prasadam to devotees in my prayer room. Instantly we noticed Udi on the lap and at the foot of Baba Sitting posture on the rock idol. This incident was witness by all devotees. Everyone in the Aarthi had a great experience of feeling the presence of Baba in my new home. Smt Veena Gupta shed her tears of joy for having blessed my home. This is our spiritual maiden experience in my new home. Sai devotees had smeared Udi on the forehead and intake as Sai Amrit on that day. This miracle incident spread like a wild fire. Sai Devotees in Toronto are coming my home to have Darshan of Baba and Miracle Udi on Him. My Pranams to Smt. Veena Gupta ji having made the Presence of Baba in my new home. Pinky Garg In the evening, all the guests and we performed Hawan and I put Baba's picture next to our Havan Kund. My joy knew no bounds and I had tears flowing from my eyes like Ganga and Jamuna when we had a knock on the door as soon as we finished the Havan, and Guess what? Someone said he brought prasad from Shirdi. Could this be an incident, no, not at all, this was My Lord's response to my prayers. This was His kindness and tender Love that was sent to us the form of Prasad, this was the most precious gift (Fruit of Faith) sent to us. My dear brothers and sisters, please do not give up, keep faith in Him as He has to come when His child is crying for Him. Next morning we left for Shirdi and spent two days there very peacefully, we got to sit inside the Temple in the morning and attended Kakad Aarthi, and it was the most beautiful seen to be witnessed. Since I got to sit very close in the front, may be 3rd row, so I tried my best not to even waste a second but continuously looked and looked and looked at our Beautiful Baba and quenched my thirst of His Darshan as much as I could. What a Precious gift I have to treasure not only this lifetime but to carry over to so many lives. Thank you Baba for so many of your gifts and sweet memories and giving us opportunity to see you and I humbly pray to you to help all your devotees who are calling on you and are struggling. Baba send your love and positive energy to all of us
A Sai devotee,India Jyotsna A Sai devotee A Sai Devotee A Sai Devotee A Sai Devotee
Quotation of the Week
Q. Why did Baba cry like an ordinary man during the death of a few of His devotees? A. by Ravin Gnanasambandam, Minnesota, USA One explanation for Baba's seemingly ordinary human emotions is that He existed at times in the plane that is close to us. The beauty of this Guru God is that he existed at a tangible distance for us. While at this plane, Baba exhibited many emotions that are very human in their nature. He used be angered, jovial, and sad. However, these emotions are always of highly virtuous nature, so called 'Satvic'. The predominant emotion that Baba showed is utmost love for his devotees and infinite compassion without expecting anything in return, except faith and patience, even that for the benefit of the devotees. He Himself was beyond all needs, attributes, and manifestations. Sai Satcharitha states that Baba cried like an ordinary mortal at the death of his devotee Megha and perhaps during the death of another eminent devotee Tatyasaheb Noolkar. Both Megha and Noolkar were so blessed that Baba gave them the right spiritual experience in a very short time. Especially, in case of Noolkar, it was only a matter of few months and Noolkar was complete in his understanding of Baba. When both these men departed the earth perhaps for the last time, Baba could not help but show these emotions as if to signify the spiritual nature of these great devotees.
Shri Shirdi Sai Thaali for India – A Holiday Gift Service from www.saibaba.org Shirdi Sai Mahasamadhi and Dassera celebrations in Bay area, CA Shri Shirdi Sai Chitra Yatra Shirdi Sai Baba Prayer Center, Kendall Park, NJ Shirdi Sai Baba Chitra Yatra And Weekly Satsang, Canada Shri Shirdi Sai Chitra Yatra in UK Shri Shirdi Sai Chitra Yatra in USA The journey which involves the ceremonial travel of Baba in the form of a portrait will stop at all Baba devotees homes who are interested in being a host to his protrait. The Yatra which will run till fall of this year, is open to one and all. There is no fees or charges involved to take part in this event. You may participate either as a host home or serve as an anchor point in your community. Vist online at yatra page for all the details and to register. For questions, comments, suggestions or to get details on an Anchor home
in your area, send us an email at maildrop@saibaba.org with the subject
line of "Shri Sai Chitra Yatra".
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