Volume:13 Issue:5
Thursday, Jun 10, 2010
Quote:
“If others hate us, let us simply take to Naamjapa and avoid them.”- Shri Sai Baba
Announcements:
Saibaba.Org announces the start of redesign project of its website. If you are a technical person and would like to volunteer, please fill out contact form.
Upcoming Events:
Shree Shirdi Sai Mandir Sydney, Australia warmly invites you with family & friends to join on 14th June 2010 for Baba and Maata's Moorti Sthapana Divas. For more information contact by email: admin(at)shirdisai.org.au
Devotees Say:
Saipriya
Thanks My Sai Baba for get our Visas Stamped. The courage and encouragement I got from you to prepare and take up the interview, reaching on time even after various hurdles, have increased my trust more and more Baba.
Saritha
I wanted to purchase a house and I applied for an FHA loan, being on a H1-B visa and not having green card is really a big deal in getting the FHA loan approval. If I was not approved of this loan I had to go with conventional loan and it would have been very difficult for me to adjust the down payment. I prayed to Baba and promised him that I would post this in Saivichar if my FHA loan got approved by his grace my loan application was submitted on Thursday, though had many problems I got the FHA loan approved. Thank you Baba for helping me.
A Sai devotee
BABA, I posted my prayer 2 weeks back. You have helped me to solve my problems amicably. Please be with us and guide us and take care of us. Show us the right way and bless us always
Sai Devotee
Thank you so much Baba. All of my husband\'s results came out to be completely normal. This would not have happened with out your grace. Please also take care of the mental agony I am currently going through. Om Sai Ram.
Padma
JAI SAI BABA, once my mother moms lost important documents which are to be submitted in bank and the date of submission was nearing we searched everywhere we dint found it but at last we found it back it in the place which we have searched at least for 10times by Sai grace, thank you Sai. JAI SAI BABA.
Rajnish
Om Sai Ram, Baba as always I would like to say Thank you for listen to all my prayers. With your blessings my project get extended which was not possible without your help. Everyday I feel your presence more and more and with the help of your miracles all of my problems get solved. Please shower your blessings on all of us (your devotees).
Rishikesh
My promotion which was pending from past 2 years has been done. I have been promoted this year. This is all because of your blessing only. Please keep your shadow on us Baba.
Seshadri
Baba With your Blessing I got a job & I am happy with the job. Kindly help me in getting the visa transfer without any problem. Thousand pranam to Sai
Devotees Experience:
Devotee
Our Koti Pranam to Baba. I want to share this experience with all Sai devotees. During my trip to India last year my sister gave me 2 small books on Shiridi Sai Baba. After coming back to USA, I opened those books and one of the books is about 5 Thursdays Puja of Baba. I have numerous experiences of Sai Baba but this is the one which I asked Baba and as if Baba gave it to us within the 5 GURUBAR PUJA of mine. Since past 9 years we have been struggling very hard in USA without any stable job, no peace of mind was there in our life. Finally I have almost given up all my hopes thinking that nothing will work in my life. Anyway I started 5 Thursdays Puja sincerely and my husband also followed me to carry out the puja and rituals. But I never discussed with my husband what I am wishing before Baba. Surprisingly within those 35 days, my husband appeared for 1st and 2nd round interviews from a very stable company for which he was aspiring for a long time. Finally he got the appointment letter before my puja got over. I have no idea how it all happened in this short span of time. Surprisingly, on my 3rd Thursday puja I received Baba's UDI, pictures, prasad etc from a friend of mine who visited Shiridi, when I opened the packet I could not hold back my tears as if Baba HIMSELF come to our home to give us assurance that your bad days have come to an end, don't worry, have complete faith on Baba and be egoless Finally I understand that Sraddha and Saburi are two important things which are very important in Sai Durbar and HE only knows when is the right time for us to receive Baba's blessings. Thank you Baba for all your blessings and please be with us all the time.
Saiasha
Like Many devotees of Baba I too wanted to share one of my recent experiences through this newsletter. First of all a million Thanks to YOURSELF DEVA for blessing us again. I know I cannot thank YOU enough for all that YOU have been doing for my family.
After taking permission from Baba regarding identifying a property, we applied for a loan. The amount was considerate to mature the deal and without the loan amount we couldn't have managed to buy a house. The procedure as assured by the brokers was not to take more than a couple of weeks but somehow the proposal got delayed due to one requirement or the other. In between when the delay was getting prolonged, I got restless and at many a times thought that it was not going to get through. But because of the feeling that our Baba had given permission, I consoled myself. I follow a practice of asking through paper chits and I asked Baba whether HE would get the loan sanctioned in our favor. The answer was YES! Somehow after approx 2 months our application was sanctioned. This brought a sigh of relief. Now we were waiting for the bank to release the amount in our favor, which was expected in few days. On a Wednesday the concerned official told me that the bank has raised some condition, which was to be fulfilled before the amount is released in our favor. Although we tried to convey to the releasing officer that all related documents had already been submitted and supplied all required information, but some how he was stuck on a particular format. We tried out best but could not manage finally and gave up. It was Wednesday night and I sat in front of our puja sthal in my room and cried my heart out. I had already told DEVA that I was weak to carry out dealings of this world and in spite of all my efforts I felt that I had failed miserably. I took out the Pothi and after random opening what I saw was "This is our Dwarakamayi, where you are sitting. She wards off all dangers and anxieties of the children, who sit on her lap. This Masjidmayi (its presiding Deity) is very merciful, she is the mother of the simple devotees, whom she will save in calamities. Once a person sits on her lap, all his troubles are over. He, who rests in her shade, gets Bliss\". Then Baba gave him Udi, and placed His protecting hand on his head." After reading this I started to cry all the more as Baba had again tugged the strings of my heart and assured that HE was aware of every little pain that I felt. Finally I went off to sleep. The next day was Thursday and I waited for the related officer to give me a final verdict regarding my loan. After communicating many a times he told me at 4 pm that the releasing officer had turned down my proposal finally. I told him to try to get all my documents back as it was of no use to them now. He told me that he would try. After disconnecting, I simply tried to get some sleep as I was feeling mentally exhausted. The whole thing chapter seemed to have been closed finally. I was not feeling anything, just blank. At approx. 5 pm the bank official called his opening line and me was "Baba ne aapki sun li. The amount is being released\". I asked him how it happened and he said even he didn't know. He told me he had sent someone to collect back my documents when the department people told him that papers are sufficient and they had decided to release the amount. I don't need to explain how I must have felt at that point of time. It seemed Baba was saying \" You should have had a little more faith. Just one step more". I want to convey to all those brothers and sisters of mine who are connected to Baba that when the going gets tough, We should try to keep a little more faith in our SADGURU and HE is sure to save us from failing in our endeavors. Needless to say, the deal was finally made and Baba wishing, we will be moving soon into our house.
Whole world of Pranam & Thanks to YOU DEVA, Please assure that this new step leads to betterment, happiness and peace. Please save us from taking any wrong steps. Please also keep forgiving us, as we are sinners from innumerable births.
Weekly Question:
Q. Does Shirdi Sai tatva fit into Guru parampara? Explain why? Or Why not?
A. by L.V.Subba Rao
The various teachings and Leelas of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba got through SRADDA & SABURI (Bhakti, Devotion) speaks that Shri Shirdi Sai Tattva is the basis to explain the Guru Parampara.
In fact, He, who by his discourse creates in us, a distaste for the enjoyments of this world and the next, and gives us a taste of self-realization, who is well-versed in both the theoretical and practical knowledge (self-realization) deserves to be called a Sad-guru. The main characteristic of a Sadh-guru is that HE is the abode of PEACE. He is neither restless nor ruffled. He has no pride of his learning. The poor and the rich, the small and the great, are the same to him, vide, Chapter (48) of Shri Sai Satcharita.
Under Chapter 32 of Shri Sai Satcharita, the Glorious Author clearly stated that
"It is the Grace of the GURU that counts. The objects of our life such as Dharma, Artha & Kama are attainable with our effort, but the fourth object, MOKSHA (Liberation), can only be had with the help of the GURU." It is therefore very clear that how Shri Shirdi Sai Himself showed that a Guide (Sad guru) is essential to drive the human being to seek the end of Karma Yoga of the being on the earth to realize self-realization.
In 1909, when a prominent Devotee, Shri Tatya Saheb Noolkar offered POOJA to Lord Shri Shirdi Sai Baba viewing HIM as his Guru, Shri Sai allowed the other devotees also to conduct Guru Pooja to HIM.
Shri Shirdi Sai allowed the devotees to perform "Shri Sriramanavami" and "Shri Shrikrishna Jayanthi" festivals traditionally at Shirdi and devotees performed all that devotedly with all veneration taking Shri Shirdi Sai Baba as SADGURU, which is followed even to date. It has been widely stated in Shri Sai Satcharita that :
Blessed is Shri Sai Samartha who gives instructions in both Temporal and Spiritual matters to His devotees and makes them happy by enabling them to achieve the goal of their life, - Shri Sai He who when places His hand on their heads transfers His powers to them and thus destroying the sense of differentiation, makes them attain the Unattainable Thing. - He who embraces the Bhaktas; who prostrate themselves before Him with no sense of duality or difference, He becomes one with the Bhaktas as the sea with the rivers when they meet it in the rainy season and gives them His power and position.
It follows from this that he who sings the Leelas of God's Bhaktas is equally or more dear to Him than one who sings the Leelas of God only, as seen from Ch. 40 of Shri Sai Satcharita.
From all the above and for various reasons that can be learnt from Shri Sai Satcharita, it is evident that Shri Shirdi Sai Tattva is Really and Exactly the basis to follow-up Guruparampara.
When once Shri Sai's Grace/Consciousness spreads, the devotee remains in HIS BLISS SUPREME, whether in waking, dream or sleep state and all happenings in the life tends towards the merger of same in the Absolute Form.
The seed for the Divine Life is sown, water it with nectarine stream of Cosmic manifestation in the quest for Liberation.
May his infite grace/consciousness shine upon this humble effort to pay homage to his resplodent life and teachings.
Sai Vichaar Vol 13, Issue 5
Feature: The Nameless One!
Baba lovingly called women as Mai, Mother, and addressed men as anna, kaka, or Bapu. But, the "nameless" One accepted the first name given on him as "Sai" and stuck to it without any resistance. His loving nicknames to the few are remarkable, "bhagath" to Mahalsapathi, "shama" to Deshpande, While he has reported to have feigned anger at a few, Baba's demeanor towards all had been that of a loving mother whose sincere purpose was to take care of the loved ones and guide them throughout their lives. This He did by His inimitable innumerable ways that can't be logically deciphered.
"What is our duty? To behave properly. That's enough", Baba said once. Those who "understood" Baba led their lives under the peaceful shadows of Baba's protection without any fear. Some people who wanted Baba's guidance on other pursuits were treated by Baba according to their disposition. Experiences of Radhabai Deshmukh, and the gentleman who came for Brahmagyan are two such discrete examples.
Mrs. Manager observed the uniqueness of Baba who she found living and operating very much in this world and yet was out of it. Professor Narke said how practical and pragmatic Baba was that He didn't indulge in giving neither metaphysical discourse nor philosophical treatise. Every question answered and every wish fulfilled! That was the experience of those who sought Baba! While he knew the ins and outs of everyone that came to Him, It was same to Him, whether a Hindu priest or a Muslim vagabond, pandit or a pauper. Legendary was the way he allowed a leper to serve Him in close proximity. His compassion and yielding to others love is such. Saibaba is the most unique personality in the annals of spiritual history.
On this Thursday, let us feel the blessings of the humble God of Shirdi and revel on the fortune of being His children forever and ever and let that be our only goal of living.
Contributed Article: Shake the Fear!
Fear is one of the qualities that could drive a person to the level of insanity. Fear manifests in different ways and forms and may lead to other vicissitudes such as anger, greed, lust, etc. Freeing oneself of the fear that lies deep within becoming the cause of various unwanted traits is a must for any serious spiritual seeker. Fear of the unknown is the biggest cause of misery. People make their lives miserable because of fear. Fear can be fought with Faith and Patience. With Faith that all that will happen will be for one's own good and patience that it will happen when the time comes for the event to happen will go a long way to lessen the agony and pain that one harbors in their lives.
Shri Sainath gave the lesson of Faith and Patience not as mere words to be remembered once a while or read in books, but to continuously put them into practice. Though very easy to read and understand the dictionary meaning, they are the most difficult to practice in one's life. As one tries to practice these two qualities, they discover that the harder it gets to deal with them. At times it goes to such an extent that Baba's dictum seems more philosophical than practical. It is for this reason that Baba left a series of stories to serve as an example to inspire his followers.
Patience is merely not just waiting but also actively believing that God is with them and will help them against all odds. Keeping faith alive against all odds in prayer and experiencing all difficulties that may come is Patience. As Baba says, Faith and Patience are like twin sisters, one cannot live without the other. Where there is no faith there is no patience and vice versa. The difficulties that do come in our lives are a result of our own past actions and the results of those have to borne as explained by Baba in Satcharita. So there is no point in arguing why difficulties or unhappiness comes, it is a fact of life as any other fact. Dealing with it in the way prescribed by Baba is the key to burden and live it when sorrow knocks on the door.
When one walks on the path laid by Baba it is invariably noted that slowly but surely the fear that was lurking behind slowly disappears and one starts becoming free of the burden and sing joyously in honor of the master who is ever ready to lead all those who approach Him.
(Source: Sai Vichaar Team)