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Quote:

“ Let the mind meditate ceaselessly on His form and the tongue chant His name. ” - Shri Sai Satcharita

Announcements:

Saibaba.Org announces the start of Initiative to help those helplessly suffering all alone. Read more in the article below.  If you can help, plese contact us.

Upcoming Events:

Maha Kumbh in Allahabad continues this week.  The Kumbh mela, believed to be the largest relgious gathering on earth is held every twelve years on the banks of Sangam - the confluence of holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswathi. 

If you or someone you know is attending the Kumbh mela, then they can also have darshan of  Shri Sai at Shri Sainath camp in Kumbh. 

Mark your calendars for a day of prayer and service to Shri Sai. Share your story and picture with other devotees by clicking here.

Prayer Club:

All Devotees

Due to the sheer volume of Prayer requests received every month, kindly note that Sai Vichaar will not be able to publish them all. Devotees are requested to submit your prayers either using the online Sai vichaar submission form or by email. All prayer requests are printed and offered at the feet of Shri Sainath. If you wish to receive Udhi prasad then you have to fill out the request form at Saibaba.Org or contact us by email.

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Devotees Say:

  • Seema Nair

    It gives me immense joy to have the Sai vichaar back. It has been such a long time. Thank you.


  • A devotee

    It was such a pleasant sight to once again see this newsletter in my email box after lapse of a few years. Thank you so much. You wont believe how much I had missed this. Pls keep up the good work.


  • Nagadeep

    Dear Saibaba, Thank you for giving me all the things I needed in the life. Loving family and friends, stable job and everything else I need. I should not ask for more. Please bless me and other people also like this. Please be with me with step.


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Devotees Experience:

  • Meera Bakshi

    Jai Sai RAM.

    BABA has been in my life taking care of me and my mom, brother and 3 sisters since my father had to leave this world at a very young age of 38 years! He died of Cancer. My youngest sister was just 2 1/2 years old!

    I even did not know that BABA is behind all things developing in our lives. But now that I can decipher each event I am awestruck with BABA's grace on me!

    The way I found my apartment in 2010, is a strange but true story, someday I will post that here. But one thing for sure that when I was checking with the apartment manager wether my application is approved or not, by the Housing Authority, that was the last hurdle in getting that apartment. The moment I was talking to the office personnel, my husband entered the place we were living with a parcel in his hand...and he started opening the package. I was getting hard time what the person on the phone was talking to me as opening the package and rustling noice of papers tearing etc was too much for me, so I asked him to wait for a few minutes till I complete the phone. And later on he said , he had ordered a book for meditaion and after so many days he got this parcel and SEE, there are 5 photos of Sai BABA in the package!

    I could not believe these 5 photos of Sri Shree Satyanarayana, which according to that Bangala auther had also found as a miracle. He was also a very naive and humble person and his teachings aer also very simlar to Sai BABA. Many many years ago, his followers wanted to take his photo so that they can worship him at their own homes. He never allowed them to take a photo. Once some one came from far away place and he urged so much that this author had to allow to take his photos. He made a condition that only the FIRST snap of him wll be considered for the followers to take, other snaps wouuld be his personal property and would not share with others.

    And LO! when the film got developed , in the first photo where the author was sitting in that particular chair with the same pose, the photo that showed up in the picture was of Sri Shree Satyanarayana, his GURUJI whom he himself was following.

    And the publisher of the book wanted to share the blessed copies of that photo along with his book, and I got these 5 photos of Sri Shree Satyanarayana, who looks just like Sai BABA. He came to my home on Thursday!

    I am experiencing each moment as BABA's blessed hand on me!

    I am blessed. Jai Sai RAM.

    NOTE: This e-mail also came to my inbox on my husband's birthday..17 January!!


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Sai Activites:

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Hampshire, Illinois, USA:

Sri Shirdi Sai temple is open daily from 7:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m.(Summer hours). Daily program includes Kakad Arathi at 7 a.m. followed by Abhisek. Madhayana Arathi at 12 noon, Dhoop Arathi at 6 p.m. and Shej Arathi at 9 p.m. Archana, Homams, Sahasranama and sponsored poojas continue in between the Arathis. To request a pooja for yourselves, your friends and family, please call. Devotees can request water (Abhishek Jal) from the Holy bathing of Baba by sending us an email or by phone. Temple is located 25 minutes drive west of Schaumburg on intersection of IL Route 47 and Plank Road in Hampshire, IL. For more information please call 847-931-4058 or send email to maildrop@saibaba.org.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN:

Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

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Weekly Question:

  • Q. How should Sai devotees react if their wishes are not fulfilled?

    Kiranmai
    How should Sai devotees react when their wishes are not fulfilled? A. Kiranmai. Be happy. Don't worry!! Cultivate giving a check on the motivation of the want! If the wish is because of 'envy'/'comparison' that someone has something like money/friendship/decor and you want it, well that's called coveting and not really a wish. On the other hand, if the wish is because there is a longing in heart originated in your heart and achieving it is not in your control then just surrender acknowledging that God for some reason doesn't think its right for you in that space and time. Lord Krishna in Bhagadvad Gita says, if mind desires something it will definitely happen at some point [well, He didn't say all are met in one incarnation!]. In these situations, one needs to pray and ask for strength so that one could follow Baba's instructions of having Faith and Patience.


  • Q. How should Sai devotees react if their wishes are not fulfilled?

    Neha
    There was a time when I used to wish Baba for one particular thing for full 6 years...And I believed that I would get it because I used to pray to Baba with full devotion. But then I did not get it. I got a little taken back thinking that my prayers and devotion were a waste, as Baba did not listen to my prayers. But then as time went by, I realized things were so much better now. It was the time when I realized that Baba had some other better things planned for me. Since then, I have come to know... we should never ask Baba for a particular thing because we only have a short term vision but ask Baba for whatever is best for you and your family for Baba is planning something better and bigger for you. He knows the future and he knows what is good for us. Om Sai Ram!


  • Q. How should Sai devotees react if their wishes are not fulfilled?

    Neeta
    The devotees should realize that whatever happens, happens for the best. There is some wiser and better cause god has in mind for us and that is the reason things did not turn up as expected. In my case, it was always this. You should wait and have trust in Baba and have faith that he will soon show you the reason and it will in fact give you much peace.


  • Q. How should Sai devotees react if their wishes are not fulfilled?

    Neelam
    We look upon Sai Baba as our God, our Almighty, and our Father. When we need something we go to Him and pray but do we have a right to get angry on Him when our prayers are not answered? I know most people do get angry and upset but why do we forget this that He loves us more than we love Him. His love for us is far greater than our love for Him. We ask Him to give us what we want but He gives us what we need. When He doesn't fulfill our wishes we should think that He has some other plans for us... a plan, which is much better than our plan. He is above us and He thinks for us better than we think about ourselves. We should just believe in Him and wait for His plan to be revealed to us.


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Sai Vichaar

What is ours will stay with us!

Baba’s first advent at Shirdi is shrouded in mystery. Researchers point this to various dates, some as early as 1854 and some later in 1870s. It is fairly certain than during 1880s several of the well-known earlier devotees of Baba were drawn to Shirdi. This includes Nanasaheb Chandorkar, Ganpatrao Saharabuddhe also known as Das Ganu Maharaj, and Abdul.  The days in Shirdi prior to this are not well documented, much less in any chronological order.

Mahalsapathy, Appa Kote, Nana Chopdar, Tatya Kote, Bayaji Bai are probably the earliest of Baba’s devotees who had the blessed and uninterrupted company of Sri Sai before crowds flocked to Shirdi. What a wonderful times those would have been! While most of the villagers thought Baba to be a mad fakir or a medicine man, these handful devotees were drawn to Baba whom they considered as their God.   Baba often said to them that "Fakir (Mendicacy) was the real Lordship as it was everlasting, and the so called Lordship (riches) was transient".  Baba also used say that what God gives will stay forever and what man gives will not.

On many other occasions Baba said, out of love for His devotees - "What (whether good or bad) is ours, is with us, and what is another's is with him."  Now, the question is to know what is “ours”. Well, didn’t Baba say that he is our caretaker and trustee of our lives and that He has to give an account of every paise to God! Yes, what is “ours” is the blessed qualification of Baba’s guardianship and protective hands. Unfortunately, when times are not good, Sai devotees forget the assurance that Baba has given and go through unnecessary turmoil instead of keeping patient and reflect on what Baba assured. Let us once again, reiterate Baba’s assurance such that we will set our priorities right:

"There will never be any dearth or scarcity, regarding food and clothes, in any devotees’ homes. It is my special characteristic that I always look to, and provide, for the welfare of those devotees, who worship Me whole-heartedly with their minds ever fixed on Me. Strive not much for food and clothes. If you want anything, beg of the Lord, leave worldly honors, try to get Lord’s grace and blessings, and be honored in His Court”.

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A look at Sri Sai Satcahrita Chapter I  

I invoke Lord Ganesh, Goddess Saraswati and the Trinity before I write my piece. I mentally bow at the feet of my parents who put me in a ritualistic form during my infancy. I am grateful to Sai- an incarnation of Dattatreya who takes care of me a one with innumerable souls. I pay my obeisance to Revered Guruji, (whom I address Poojaniya Baba and Maa as my spiritual preceptors) as I begin to write. The grinding of the wheat has been a symbolic chapter, since I now feel that the Sadguru winnowed the wheat and in the process, crushed the sins of many of his future devotees apart from spreading the flour to ward off an epidemic. The flour seeped into the fabric of the soil of Shirdi and today this is one of the greatest granaries that feeds millions of devotees. He chose to live on alms and in doing so, taught to the oncoming generations that dignity lay in charity. He took upon a one in kind responsibility of feeding all those who came to him- inclusive of birds, animals and trees. The rock that he entered to make it a place of worship became a sanctum sanctorum. The structured rock was truly blessed since it was hardened foliage. While the holy basil attained a dignified status through the touch of a Supreme, so were the grains of wheat. They became an antidote for Cholera. The grains of wheat that went into his hand too must have had a deposit of Prarabdh. The grinding mill containing of twin stones (Karma and Bhakti) became a symbolic widget. The lower stony wheel teaches us that the sanchit karma along with Bhakti purifies our output and hence improves on quality of our everyday work. Baba foretold the mankind through this epistle that future generations needed to contemplate on both of them in order to cultivate Bhakti. The handle with which Baba worked stressed upon Dhyan and it is through Dhyan that one self examines our attributes and traits. Though a man is born with all the three gunas, the quality of enriching and nurturing Sattvic qualities is of paramount importance and Sai our Sadguru in the forthcoming chapters teaches us the necessity of nurturing the quality through lucid and simple illustrations of daily life. Our Sadguru steers us through the good, the bad by portraying examples. Sai our savior takes us to a world, which an individual can inhibit! Glory to Sai shakti!

(Contributed by Sai devotee Mani Suravajhala)

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Help To EndureSM – Initiative to help those enduring with hard times alone

Dear Readers,

Pain and suffering come uninvited, and nobody is immune to the perils of bad times. As we all lead our lives under Sri Sai’s benevolent gaze, we endure the hard times with the faith that help comes to us in different shapes and forms.

To illustrate a real situation, imagine the challenges of being an International student away from home.  On top of it imagine the cruel play of fate and being engulfed by a terminal illness with no major health coverage and under a pile of medical bills! Imagine one in prime youth, instead of being a ray of hope and joy to support retired parents, he himself needs support! Enduring all physical, emotional and financial pain, one continues to fight the disease against all odds. Such are the real stories of these Children of Sai  who are trying to survive a day at a time, struck by the dreaded disease like Cancer! Fighting cancer is difficult, prolonged, and expensive. It drains out all the resources one has!
 
When we see such a dire situation, it pains us, makes us feel thankful for what we have and it motivates us to do something.  When even the best medical care can’t provide cure in such a situation, what it is we can do?  We can Help To EndureSM by sharing our blessings through most generous gift we can give.
 
Help To EndureSM, raises money to fight cancer, to raise awareness of cancer in the community and help families endure in their fight against cancer; one family at a time.  It is a community-developed event run by volunteers.  All your contributions go towards activities supporting those fighting cancer.
 
We know there are many more men, women, and children who will seek our – and your – help.  The need is greater than ever. Please send your gift today.  Please spread this message or sign up to volunteer for this cause.
 
For more information write to Help to EndureSM support team at www.saibaba.org

(Contributed by Sai Vichaar Team)

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