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Sai Vichaar 01.Feature of the Week 02.Contributed Article 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 thanks you for your support for the Question of the Week feature. This feature is intended to initiate useful discussion on topics related to Sai philosophy, His message, and Sai devotion. Please send your suggested topics for the same. Sai devotee Meenakshi Kumar suggested the Question of the week as follows: When Hemadpant asked Sri Sai, "Baba do all the crowding around you are benefited?" Sri Sai answered that only a few flowers ripe into fruits, not all are benefited. My question is why is it so? Q. How are we to know that we have won Sai's grace? 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 responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.
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Feature of the week:
God - a matter of experience
Saibaba's language was truly mystic for he talked back and forth between the Absolute mode and the mode of surrendered servant or even bond slave of the Lord. In the former mode, He made such statements as: "I am formless and everywhere" and, "I look equally on all. Not a leaf moves except my grace". In the latter mode of surrendered instrument of God, he declares:" Without God's permission nothing can be made by me", and "Baba is but phaladata (giver of the fruit or dispenser of the result). However, his message is clear both on fear and hope that if one becomes God's or Saibaba's devotee the one will be under his protective wing and need no fear. If then the devotee has patience, his hopes will be realized and in due course, he will indeed be raised spiritually. This blessing is not to be confused with worldly benefits such as material prosperity, fame, power or even health, although these may in fact occur as by-products. The promise is for the achievement of the Sufi goal of mystical union with God, or the realization that one was never in truth separation from God. Among many quotations in this vein of protection and guidance, Saibaba said: "if you make me the sole object of your thoughts and aims, you will gain paramartha - the supreme goal. Some visitors came to see Saibaba at first merely out of curiosity to see a miracle-worker, and then gradually they started coming to listen to what Saibaba was teaching. Nana Chandorkar, for example, began listening to Saibaba this way, and eventually gained complete confidence that Saibaba did indeed demonstrate the qualities of divinity. Others however, such as Dasganu, although he had great respect for the Saint and had been shown many phenomenal miracles, could never quite come to terms with admitting Saibaba's divinity (when Baba was in flesh and blood). (From: "Saibaba and the Sufi Tariquat' in "Unravelling The Enigma - Shirdi Saibaba in the Light of Sufism" by Marianne Warren)
Contributed Article: Baba's method of Teaching
As for Baba's declaration about his Guru, Professor Narke heard Baba say, "Maja Guru Brahman ahe", that is, My Guru is a Brahmin. Having said so much about his Guru, professor Narke carefully noted that Baba did not say that he had any sishya to continue his line. On the other hand, Sai Baba said, 'I would tremble to come into the presence of my Guru.' There was no one prepared to serve Sai Baba in that way at Shirdi.
Once Sai Baba asked, it seems, 'Who dares to call himself my disciple? Who can serve me adequately and satisfactorily?' But apart from a disciple to continue the line, Baba helped in various ways and in various degrees. He encouraged them, protected them, and gave them instructions occasionally.
Narke was studying Baba's methods of teaching and improving devotees. Baba gave our moral tales and a few occasional directions. But these were exceptional. But the traditional method of Baba was not oral. His traditional method was first the negative portion; that is, the Guru did not give to his chosen disciple any Guru mantra. Usually a Guru whispers a mantra into the ear of the sishya, and he seems to be almost biting the ear when he is whispering. So, Baba said, 'Me Kanala Dasnara Guru Navhe.' That is, 'I am not the Guru that bites the ear. He did not regard japa and meditation as sufficient for the sishya. These produce in the sadhaka Abhimana or Ahamkara. Unless and until Ahamkara is completely wiped out the Guru is unable to pour all his influence into the sishya.
In Baba's school, the Guru does not teach. He radiates or pours influence. That influence is poured in and absorbed in full by the soul which has completely surrendered itself and blotted out the self, but is obstructed by the exercise of intelligence by reliance on self-exertion and by every species of self-consciousness and self-assertion.
Baba, therefore, would tell some devotees, 'Be by me and keep quiet and I will do the rest,' that is, 'secretly or invisibly. One who was merely seeing him and staying by him for a while got faith. Baba gave experiences to each devotee, of his vast powers of looking into his heart, into the distance regions of space and time, past or future and this infused faith. One need not swallow a thing on trust. The solid benefit, temporal or spiritual reaped by the devotee and his feeling that he is under the eye and power of Baba always, wherever he may be and whatever he may do, gave him an ineradicable basis for his further temporal and spiritual guidance.
Baba's is the power that controls this world's goods and our fate here and now, as well as our experience and fate in the future, in this world and many unseen worlds. The professor concludes that the duty of a devotee under Baba is only to keep himself fit for the Guru's grace. That is, he should be chaste, pure, simple and virtuous and he should look trustfully and sincerely to the beloved master to operate on him secretly, and to raise him to various experiences, higher and higher in range, until he is taken at last to the distance goal. 'But one step is enough for me', is the proper attitude now, He need not take the trouble to decide complicated metaphysical and philosophical problems about the ultimate destiny. He is ill-prepared to solve them now. The guru will lift him and endow him with higher powers, vaster knowledge and increasing realization of truth. And the end is safe in the Guru's hands.
These above conclusions, as the professor says, are not from any single lecture or address by Baba, but are gathered from the various hints, his dealings with many people and his occasional words.
(Contributed by Courtesy: Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swami)
Sai Rudra With Baba's grace, my husband found another project without any delay. But this was even a bigger challenge. His project manager was very rude and did not give time for my husband to even breath. He gave a lot of work to my husband and was after him all the time. He followed my husband even if he went to the rest room. My husband was going through hell, all the more because he was still not technically sound. I prayed and pleaded Baba every day to make sure my husband would succeed in his job. Within three weeks, my husband read many books, got some guidance from the Internet etc, and completed all the tasks his boss gave him and today his boss is very happy and sent him a long " Appreciation Letter". Thanks Baba, You have proved that You are with us every second of our lives, guiding and guarding us.
Saipadma Santoshini Sandhya Subha Vandana Suma Sumana Chandrika Mithun Suresh Sheela Rachna
Quotation of the Week:
Q. How are we to know that we have won Sai's grace? A. by Sadashiv Kavthankar When the merits and demerits of souls balance each other, they are born on earth as human beings and are given a chance to workout their salvation. It is therefore recommended to remember God (Guru is God) and chant His name always. The kind and merciful Shri Saibaba (Sadguru) said many a times the following sweet words in the masjid: - " he who loves me most, always sees me. The whole world is desolate to him without me. He who tells no stories but mine; he ceaselessly mediate upon me and always chants my name I shall repay his debt by giving him salvation." If that is so and present in you, rest assure that you have won Shri Sai's grace. When Hemadpant asked Sri Saibaba, "Baba do all the people crowding around you are benefited?" Sri Sai answered that only few flowers ripe into fruits, not all are benefited. My question is why is it so? People crowded around Sri Sai Baba with different motives. There were those with improper ones, who did not benefit. While those who worshiped Him faithfully and wholeheartedly, mediated upon Him constantly with complete surrender and had firm faith and patience, benefited. To quote an instance, once Shri Sai Baba said:- " My treasury is full, and I can give anyone, what he wants, but I have to see whether he is qualified to receive my gift. If you listen to Me carefully, you will be certainly benefited, while sitting in this masjid, I never speak any untruth". Q. How are we to know that we have won Sai's grace? A. by Ravin, Minnesota In Baba's fold, those that are not blessed are the ones that Think they are not blessed! Baba said, "No one can come to me on his or her own accord, its me who brings them on various pretexts". He exhorts that it is because of Rinanubandha that we are drawn to him and it is His business and in fact, His responsibility to take proper and right care of us. Anyone in Baba's path should rest easy that they belong to Baba whether they completely know it, feel it or not!
Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Minnesota Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Shirdi Sai Satsang, Bay Area, California Sai Satsang, New Jersey, USA Shirdi Sai Satsang, Toronto, Canada Shirdi Sai Mandir, Scarborough, Canada Shirdi Sai Satsang in Vancouver, BC, Canada Sai Satsang, Singapore Sai Baba Satsang in Auckland, New Zealand
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