Volume:13 Issue:18
Thursday, Sep 9, 2010
Quote:
“ The knowledge of the Self is subtle and mystic. No one could, on his own, ever hope to attain it. A self-realized Guru is a must ” - Shri Sai Baba
Announcements:
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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:
Priya
Baba, please help my brother recover from his surgery soon. Give him the strength he needs to go through this tough time and get over it. Sai Ram.
Subramaniam
I have made big mistakes on you. Please Baba forgive me and my family members from out of this current situation. I bow my head on your holy feet Baba, please save me from this bad situation. I hope you made miracle for me and my family members. Please forgive me Baba.
Ameet
Sai Nath, Thanks a lot for your love and care for me. You were always there whenever I needed you most.
Bindu
Thank you very much Sai Baba for approving all are Green Cards. Thank you for helping me through the long journey.
Raveendra
Thanks a lot for passing us in our final exam. Baba you have showered your kind blessings on us thru this challenging phase and gave place at your holy charan.
Devotees Experience:
Harish
Hi Friends, I would Like to tell all SAI DEVOTEES how SAI blessed us, and continue blessing us. I come from family of 4, mom, my sisters and myself. My dad is no more. My Mom is a teacher, and I am working in an IT company, my elder sister is also working and is married, and younger sister is a physician. Recently, my mom who is 50 years old had a Pain in her breast. When my younger sister checked, there was the CYST (LUMP), she suggested us to do the FNAC (Cancer Test). My mom underwent the Mammography, Sr.Doctor said she was not sure if it was CANCER, So we took her to the big Hospital, Doctor said it looks like Atypical Cells, not Normal cells. He suggested us to do the biopsy send for the Lab for Testing. And Biopsy was done, we all were Praying all day to SAI to bless my mom. Result was supposed to come on Tuesday, but it was delayed, and we were really worried and afraid of Result. Only Thing we did was praying to Sai Sai and reading Sai Sathcharitha. Finally Result Came on THURSDAY and it was declared that its not cancer. My team leader at work specially Prayed for my Mother, and she was told by BABA to bring my MOM to DWARAKAMAI so he will cure and bless my MOM, in her dreams. We Really are blessed and we all Thank MILLION to our SAI MA, We are not there without Sai, We LOVE SAI BABA.
Manjita
Baba thank you very much for making our Shirdi trip successful. One month before visiting Goa, we planned for our Shirdi trip but after reaching Goa I had to postpone my Shirdi trip 2 weeks later as I was going through some personal problems and I was thinking whether I would be able to visit Shirdi or not. We could not get train tickets because of heavy rush during Gurupoornima but Finally I strongly took a final decision that even though I face obstacles, I will never change my mind of visiting Shirdi. In spite of heavy rains we took our car & hired a driver & left to our destination. On the way my Nephew got fever & we were worried as my daughter who is small may also get fever as we were traveling in one car. But Baba took care of all this & he was normal after reaching Shirdi. I was also worried for my daughter’s health but Baba was there for her. We dint mind walking bare foot in wet mud to worship Baba. It was also strange to hear that due to heavy rain & landslide all the trains were cancelled. When I was walking inside the temple queue, my eyes were in tears thinking, I was anxiously waiting to visit Shirdi since many years & today finally Baba brought us to Shirdi safely. What a miracle. Now I feel, whenever I visit Shirdi will always feel like visiting again & again. Baba I don’t have words to thank you. My Life will always be devoted to you till my end. Always keep us at your lotus feet & bless all your devotees & us. Also bless my sister & fulfill her wish, as they are the only one who took initiative for taking us to Shirdi.
Sai Vichaar Vol 13, Issue 18
Feature: Inevitable Maya
The world is an illusion is what the spiritual masters have been emphasizing time and again. People pursuing the path of spirituality too have realized and accepted the fact that the world is enveloped by Maya, which is the root cause of all unhappiness in the world. Still most of us are trapped and the tentacles of Maya spread far and wide that we find it difficult to extricate ourselves from its ugly clutches. When our Sadguru Shri Sainath Maharaj himself said that the Maya continues to tease Him, then what about the normal beings like us. But the moot point is that, is there any way we come out of it and live in peace? Revered Guruji Shri Satpathyji has said that,
"MAATI KE YE RISTHE SAARE, SABH CHOOT JAYENGE,
NAAM, DHAN, GHAR SARE PEECHE REH JAYENGE,
TERE JANMONKE SAATHI GURU KO PUKAR RE"
It is clear from these verses that all the relations with people break off, and the name, fame, money and the worldly acquisitions are left behind. So this being the truth, He said that from the moment one takes birth, one should look for Guru and seek His companionship. Though we know this truth, we continue to be entangled in the web of this mundane world. As a result, we end up having umpteen desires, unfulfilled wishes and for their fulfillment, we constantly pray to God. This is a continuous process and there is no end to it as some thing or other keeps cropping up and we keep looking at the Lord for His intervention, to help us tide over various situations. Since none of us knows really the actual required things, we go by our intellect and invoke the blessings of Lord to have things happening in desired direction. By this act, we are actually limiting the grace of the God to some specific things only. When we realize that it is the play of Maya that forces us to seek for specific things in life, then we would blindly leave everything at the feet of the Master and just look at Him to guide us the way He thinks appropriate.
We the devotees of Shri Sainath, try to follow his teachings as described in Shri Sai Satcharitra. In spite of the fact that we read and analyze Satcharitra and try hard to internalize the essence of Sai's teachings, still we become victims of Maya. In the very first chapter in Shri Sai Satcharitra it is clearly said that, " the firm conviction of Baba is that the knowledge or Self- realization is not possible, unless there is prior act of grinding of all our impulses, desires, sins, three gunas and the Ahamkara, which is so subtle and difficult to get rid of". But most of us knowingly or unknowingly fail to take cognizance of this strong conviction of Shri Sai and as a result experience the difficulties while traversing the spiritual path.
When the realization dawns on us that it is difficult to get away from the effects of Maya which is nothing but the divine esoteric play of the Lord, our only option is to pray to the Lord fervently to save us from Maya and its effects. Here I am reminded once again the beautiful verses of Guruji Shri Satpathiji,
"BAHUT KUCH MAI SAMAJANA PAAVU, APNI LEELA SAMJHA DONA,
KRIPA KARO ES MOORAKH DAS KO, APNE CHARNOME RAKH LONA"
Oh, Sai, I am not able to understand anything, please make me understand your divine play and shower mercy on this ignorant servant and keep me at your lotus feet. The irony here is that a great realized soul like Satpathyji, composed these verses, then what about we the ignorant lot. Perhaps to overcome that inevitable maya, we need to utter these verses thinking of our Sadguru
Shri Sainath Maharaj always. Guru alone is our true companion and He is the one who walks with us in this world and the world beyond. So let us offer our humble salutations to Him and pray for His continuous presence. "Aum Shri Sai, Peace be to all"
(Contributed by P.Raghunadha Reddy, Tirupati, India)
Contributed Article: Why do we read Sai Satcharitha?
Lessons being taught on good deeds, good manners remain appreciable irrespective of the person giving the lecture or reading holy books etc. Just to make sure that serving poor or satisfying hunger are means of serving god, you need not read satcharithra. These good things are minimal acknowledgements to be made by “our selves”. But why do we read satcharithra? It is a great book that discusses everything so that one can renew himself and turn out to be a better person. We are grown enough that we can make our own decisions live independently know what is good or bad. Again another question arises. If we know all the good happenings then what is the need for us to read about some old sayings? If anyone asks me this question I would definitely go “for” the person’s views. Now I will shoot a query for these people “How many good things have you been practicing? Believe me many of them do not have a valid answer.
So what is this satcharithra about? Everyone think for a moment. Does reading the precious writings of Hemadpant once is enough to know the essence of the book? Definitely the answer is no. But a single reading of the book will make you realize what we are missing – the purpose of our lives – Atmasakshatkara
Continue to read the book. Once, twice, thrice or innumerable times. It does not matter. While you read, at one point all the senses, mind, heart gets focused and then you reach what you call is the swayam tripthi or atmasantripthi – where we satisfy the inner deity within ourselves. Later on you transform to a better person and strive for the reason you were born. That is when you completely understand the beloved book.
SADGURU SRI SAINATHARPANA MASTU.
(Contributed by Sai devotee P Sirisha)