Volume:13 Issue:13
Thursday, Aug 5, 2010
Quote:
“If you spread your palms with devotion before Me, I am immediately with you, day and night. Though, I am here bodily, still I know what you do; beyond the seven seas ”- 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:
The full moon day(Pournima) of Hindu Ashada month (July 25th) is desingated to serve the Guru, hence it is also referred to as Guru Pournima. Sai devotees accross the world will be celebrating Gurupournima celebrations either at home or temple. Mark your calendars for a day of prayer and service to Shri Sai. Share your story and picture with other devotees by clicking here.
Devotees Say:
Sridhar
Thank you Baba for helping me to finish the MBA program. Hopefully you will bless us with the green cards soon.
Rajneesh
Om Sai Ram, Baba Thank you so much to listen and answer to all of my Prayers. On Thursday, I received the Two most Important and wonderful news of my life. With your blessing, my Green Card application is approved on Thursday and on the same day, I was selected for another project in same company where I am working right now. I truly believe that both of this news was not possible without your blessings. About 3 weeks back I was told that my project will going to be end in August and since then I was keep praying in front of Baba to help me find another project in same city and get my Green Card approved before end of July month Visa bulletin. On the day, we received an email that our Green Card is approved, as per my promise I leave early from work and visit Shirdi Temple in (Illinois). Once again Baba Thank you so very much for everything. Please shower your blessings on us and all of your devotees.
Devotees Experience:
Sai Devotee
Sai Devotees, I want to share my experience of Baba blessings in my life. We planned to by house in NJ and we started looking for houses. One day we got call from realtor that one good house on sale. He forced us to see the house on same day. My husband and I went see the house. The house is really good and because of lot of competition, we signed the contract immediately. I left every thing to Baba because he will give the things, which gives the good results. We applied the loan to bank and we were waiting for appraisal report. Finally, appraisal came low. Bank told they do not give loan more than appraisal price. My realtor told that would try the appraisal one more time. However, seller is in hurry and he gave only 4 days time line to get the commitment. We requested new lender to do the process quickly. He did appraisal again and the value came low again. I thought Baba is doing all these things to do some good. Seller wants to cancel the contract. I left everything to Baba and sent mail to attorney cancel the contract. Again Baba did miracle and seller agreed to reduce the price. Again, we started the process to buy the house. My seller fixed the closing date and we started running towards the date. On closing day, our lender called, loan was not cleared, and they have some doubt about our status. I prayed Baba sincerely to solve the issue and understand the loan processor about our status. With Baba grace, they understand the documentation and we closed the house. We faced so many hurdles, but are always with us and gave strength to face them. He did miracles and he blessed us with our dream house. As per my Promise, I am leaving Nonveg on Thursdays for my entire life.
KK Singh
Dear All, I have been suffering a lot for last 20 years and developed faith in God slowly. I joined a Satasang in my town around 6 years ago. I was a compulsive drinker for all seven days a week until some one in my home town in India told me that I must quit drinks and non veg on Thursdays as the results to my efforts are only limited due to this. I was told that it is a day of Guru. I prayed Hanuman Ji as my Guru until this Saturday 24 July 2010, when I was having dinner with a friend and they said that it is the day for Sain Baba. I could realize that Sai had entered in my life so long ago. Just three months ago from today, some one from my Satsang advised me to read Sai SatCharitra as it has miraculous effects. I read it in two months and when completed, approached appropriate people in my organization to help me saving the life of my daughter by placing me in any medically advanced country.
However, it is not done completely, but to cut the storey short, I got some great hope and have belief in Baba that every thing would go all right. In last one month only, there are three Sai Sat Charitra in my family with different people and I have planned a trip with 18 other family and friends\' family members to visit Shirdi. Thankfully, the day we would be there is a Thursday only. Jai Sai Ram. This is my first experience to visit this site and enrolled my self and my wife as recipient of mails and my first letter as Article subscriber. If acceptable, I would share my some of the pains as well in future. I wish all Sai Baba followers a great life and pray to Sai to bless us all as he is so Merciful and loving! Please welcome me and my family as a new member in your life full of Sai\'s stories and blessings.
Manisha
I would like to share with all the devotees of Saibaba his miracle for which I am forever thankful to him. I was very keen to settle down in UK.I tried on student visa, workpermit visa and other countries visa also since long time but I believe Baba always gives me excellent things in my life. During my last year visit to Shirdi, I prayed to Baba to do needful for my one wish-- to settle in abroad. I thought in Shirdi temple in front of Saibaba, I should bring my passport that time UK immigration wants master degree and my friends told me that UK government would not change rule so I was hopeless. But I have strong "Shardha" trust on Baba that he will change rule in short time. It was Baba’s grace that the UK immigration rule changes for education from master to bachelor degree. My husband and I applied on 5 May 2010 and within 10days, we got visa.
Thank you Saibaba. I request to all Sai devotee that whatever you ask in Shirdi temple, please always keep "Shardha" and “Saburi" and surrender on Saibaba. He will do best for you. Another miracle that my younger sister got married on 9th July on blessing of Saibaba only because we have searched partner for her since 7 years.
Weekly Question:
Q. Out of devotees of Sri Saibaba depicted in Sri Saibaba literature who do you like most and why?
A. by Vandana
The only character in the Sai satcharita for whom Sai Baba is like a GURU, FRIEND, PHILOSOPHER is SHYAMA..And this is the character I like the most. Even Shyamaji reacts like a close friend to Baba and every time they fight like kids for small things. This shows how much Baba likes his devotees and his love towards his devotees just cannot be explained in words to be publishes here. Only when we surrender to him we can experience his true love.
Q. Out of devotees of Sri Saibaba depicted in Sri Saibaba literature who do you like most and why?
A. by Kirti
Out of devotees of Sri Saibaba depicted in Sri Saibaba literature I like Shama the most. Shama had heart of a child. Whatever he thought he spoke without considering the circumstances he was in. With Baba, he behaved like a child just like a child would act in presence of his/her mother. I like this innocence in Shama. For Shama Baba and Dwarkamayi was everything, he did not feel the need of visiting Saptshringi Devi, his family deity, just because Baba was his whole world. I like this unconditional devotion and faith Shama had in Baba.
Sai Vichaar Vol 13, Issue 13
Feature: Sri Sai's attitude towards reading and self-enquiry
Saibaba appears to have understood that the literary forms are only a focus for the underlying truths that are not nearly so susceptible to ethnic and religious pigeonholes. Author Kevin Shepard writes in his book “Gurus-Rediscovered”-
At one time, pupils at Shirdi were in the habit of approaching Saibaba with books that each found inspiring. The objective was to obtain his blessings in their studies. On one of these occasions, a visitor came empty handed. The others expected the adept to rebuke this man, but instead Saibaba gave him an expansive smile and told him that he was wise - since wisdom could not be assimilated even by reading many pages of the scriptures. True wisdom was concealed in one's own atman. Even in respect of understanding meditation, one must first understand the meditator. The human psychology is a mass of contradictions and conflicts he stressed - how then can a man assimilate anything from outside? The impressions of such a confused and un-integrated psychology would inevitably be unreliable. "We have only to see the Self and the rest becomes revealed," he is reported to have said on another occasion. But it is apparent that he considered this to be a rare event. Hence he repeatedly urged some of his pupils, probably the more attentive ones, to: Think always about this question - Who am I?
This stress on vichar (self-enquiry) did not mean any neglect of the teacher, as is sometimes thought by persons intent upon self-remembering. The essential emphasis in Saibaba's verbal injunctions was the need for rapport with the teacher. The living potency of his baraka (blessing) was the proof here, something stronger than scriptures or dogmas. Pupils found that stray remarks of his caused an impact out of all proportion to a pedantic analysis of his words. One sentence from Saibaba was enough to acutely affect someone's life for days, weeks, or even months and years on end. His words might sting or they might heal; none could predict what would come. His words might be in the form of an instruction, something which had to be carried out no mater what if the pupil wished to continue further. This might well involve the elimination of an undesirable personal trait or the elimination of a new and more desirable one - although this would not be explicit in the order given. It might be something, which appeared to have no connection at all with the "spiritual life" as normally understood. It is this concrete application to life events which distinguishes the real teacher, something quite apart from standard religio- mystical attitudes.
Contributed Article: Sai Baba of Shirdi as A Sufi Saint (Continued)
RepentanceRepentance is described as the awakening of the soul from the slumber of heedlessness, so that the sinner becomes aware of his evil ways and feels contrition for past disobedience. He is not truly penitent, however, unless (1) he at once abandons the sin or sins of which he is conscious, and (2) firmly resolves that he will never return to these sins in the future. It he should fail to keep his vow, he must again turn to God, whose mercy is infinite. A certain well- known Sufi repented seventy times and fell back into sin seventy times before he made lasting repentance.
Sufi Teacher
If the ‘seeker’ follows the general rule, he will take a director (Sheykh, Pir, Murshid), i.e. a holy man of ripe experience and profound knowledge, whose least word is absolute law to his disciples. A 'seeker' who attempts to traverse the ‘Path’ without assistance receives little sympathy. He is likened to a tree that for want of the gardener's care brings forth 'none or bitter fruit.'
Removing the Nafs
The Sufi teachers gradually built up a system of asceticism and moral culture, which is founded on the fact that there is in man an element of evil - the lower or appetitive soul. This evil self, the seat of passion and lust, is called nafs. It constitutes the great obstacle to the attainment of union with God. Mortification of the nafs is the chief work of devotion, and leads, directly or indirectly, to the contemplative life. All the Sufi teachers are agreed that no disciple who neglects this duty will ever learn the rudiments of Sufism. The principle of mortification is that the nafs should be weaned from those things to which it is accustomed, that it should be encouraged to resist its passions, that its pride should be broken, and that it should be brought through suffering and tribulation to recognize the vileness of its original nature and the impurity of its actions. The outward methods of mortification include fasting, silence, and solitude. However, the higher ethical discipline which completes the Path is self-mortification. Self- mortification, as advanced Sufis understand it, is a moral transmutation of the inner man. The lower self can and should be purged of its attributes, which are wholly evil. These attributes - ignorance, pride, envy, uncharitableness, etc. – are extinguished, and replaced by the opposite qualities, when the will is surrendered to God and when the mind is concentrated on Him. Therefore the Sufi concept of 'dying to self' is really 'living in God'. ‘Dhikr’ or Recollection The term dhikr-’recollection’ – signifies 'mentioning,' 'remembering,' or simply’ thinking of'. The Sufis made a practice of repeating the name of God or some religious formula, e.g. “Glory to Allah” (subhan Allah), accompanying the mechanical intonation with an intense concentration of every faculty upon the single word or phrase; and they attach great value to this irregular litany, which enables them to enjoy uninterrupted communion with God. Recollection may be either spoken or silent, but it is best, that tongue and mind should co- operate. A Sufi gives us a gist of the matter;
"The first stage of dhikr is to forget self, and the last stage is the effacement of the worshipper in the act of worship, without consciousness of worship, and such absorption in the object of worship as precludes return to the subject thereof."
Hindu Perspective – Guru-Bhakti
Here is what Swami Chidananda says about Guru-bhakti: God is an unknown entity. We have not seen God. We have not touched, nor tasted, nor smelt Him. We have only heard about Him. We can only infer Him. We can only imagine Him. But then, if we are able to see in a human individual manifestations of holiness, of sanctity, of purity, of sublimity, of nobility, of goodness, of loftiness of conduct, character, nature, sentiment, thought, feeling and action, if we see something out of the ordinary something extraordinary, something special, a manifestation of those qualities that we have been taught to associate only with God then we say: “If such a human being can exist, God must exist. Otherwise, from whence do these qualities come which we do not normally see in anyone?” When we see this divinity, this holiness, this sanctity, we begin to realize:
“Yes, God I have not seen, but godliness I have seen. All the qualities attributed to God by the scriptures, by saints and sages, in all religious contexts those I see in an unusual measure, in an extraordinary measure, in this being. Because I have seen this being and this being is known to me, I am assured that God is. I know there must be a God.”
(To be continued)
(Contributed by Shri Shirdi Saisansthan, Singapore (www.saisansthan.com)