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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 is an open forum for those interested to share their experiences, views and ideas on Sai devotion and their experiences with Saibaba of Shirdi. Readers are requested to note that Sai Vichaar is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors. The "Question of the week for this week is suggested by a Sai devotee as follows: Q. We get to hear that whatever sufferings we undergo is due to the deeds of our previous births. To the contrary we also hear that whatever good or bad deeds we do, we have to experience the result in the same birth itself. Could anyone explain which is appropriate? 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:
Dussehra Message
Often during my visit to the temples of Shirdi Sai Baba and also in the functions relating to Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi, I at times observe certain types of conduct of devotees of Baba as also the general visitors to the temples, which to my mind does not seem appropriate for the place or the occasion. Far to speak of higher spiritual senses and sensibilities, even the common sense of an ordinary man dictates that certain dress and behavioral codes are required to be adopted in a certain situation. Let us think of a few such situations i.e., a marriage party, an official conference, a funeral procession and a golf tournament. Can any one think of attending a marriage party in attire meant for playing golf or an official function in attire befitting a funeral procession? The dress codes prescribed for each of these occasions are different. Such dress specifications have evolved gradually over a long period of time in our civilization, because they are appropriate to the occasion. The idea is to keep the environment comfortable and non-intimidating for everyone and take into consideration the sensitivities of other human beings around. Since to be civilized means to make compromises to accommodate the human sensitivities and sentiments of others, it is essential that while in a place meant for group activities one must be dressed appropriately. Now let us examine the way the devotees of some religions dress or conduct themselves while in a religious congregation. While in the church the Christians are fully and appropriately dressed. So also is the case of Sikhs, Muslims, and Buddhists etc. When inside the temple premises, devotees are supposed to concentrate all their faculties for a definite purpose and in a certain manner i.e., eyes (through which they concentrate and meditate on the image of the deity), mouth (through which they recite mantras or aartis and bhajans in praise of the deity), ears (through which they listen to mantras, aartis, discourses etc.), nose (through which they smell the sweet smell of flowers and incense offered to the deity) and skin (through which they touch the feet of the deity). One can imagine the serene atmosphere of a temple, which gives a feeling of expansion of the thought horizons and a sense of ecstatic upliftment of the soul. The most desirable situation in the temple is where one can listen to the prolonged euphoric notes of somber mantras, there is no hustle bustle, no high pitched and abusive ruckus mingled with diatribes with choicest invectives. It should also not give a picture of a depressed and melancholic place with tearful devotees with sulking faces. Such devotees sulking in the temple due to non-fulfillment of their purely material desires spoil the pleasant and peaceful atmosphere of the temple. It needs to be a place of unison of minds and souls of devotees, while focusing on a deity, in chanting mantras and also singing the aarti together. When the purpose, the thoughts, the sentiments and the activities of the devotees are merged in a prayer in invoking the deity or the master, the love of the master or deity flows down to the devotees. This then is the method and the purpose of going to a temple or a religious congregation. On the other hand, imagine for a moment, when such a pristine atmosphere is about to raise the souls of the devotees to a state of sublime ecstasy, impropriety in dressing and conduct such as talking or laughing loudly by a devotee may knowingly or unknowingly disturb the other devotees and vitiate the atmosphere. The focus is shifted from the deity, in our case, the holy image of Shri Sai Nath Maharaj of Shirdi towards such individuals. Then the whole purpose of visiting a temple is defeated. Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi was never in favour of his devotees and workers wearing such clothes. Once poet Dasganu the famous ballad singer on Baba and other saints came to Baba on his way to a religious function, where he was supposed to give a rendition of songs on Baba. He was donned in dazzling and colourful attire, which Kirtankars and Kathavachaks usually wear in Maharashtra and elsewhere. Baba asked him not to decorate himself in such lavish style and attend the function in the simplest possible dress. In the light of what has been explained above, it is desirable for the Shirdi Sai devotees to worship Baba in the temple or to participate in a congregation of Sai devotees in modest and simple attire. Baba's teachings show that lavish display of material aspects of life including dazzling dresses never impressed Baba. Shri Sai Baba the Fakir with the torn clothes perhaps finds it more comfortable to be with simply dressed but truthful people. In this context I have also observed many devotees trying to wear clothes in the style and manner of the Master, wearing Kafnis (long flowing cloth covering the entire body) and patka (headgear). Some of them carry a satka additionally in their hand. The famous Gurugita asks the devotees not to copy the look or the behaviour of the Master. And this is the accepted rule of law, in the master-disciple relationship in the spiritual world. Even the famous Shri Vivekananda never imitated the attire of his Guru, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Although some Sai devotees tend to dress like Baba out of ignorance and simply as a feel good factor, there are other fraudulent ones who try to impress the gullible devotees in order to extract money and other advantages. It is therefore correct on the part of the temple trust to surely but politely impress upon the visitors to the temple to be properly attired and behave while in the temple premises. On the day of Mahasamadhi of Baba, I invoke Shri Sai Baba's blessing for the devotees and readers in helping them to evolve in the spiritual path. Message by Shri C.B.Satpathy
Contributed Article: Baba's mantra!
Baba said to Radhabhai Deshmukh, "Oh mother, My Guru never taught Me any mantra, then, how shall I blow any Mantra in your ears?" Does it really mean that Baba didn't give any mantra to anyone? When the great devotee Sri Tatyasaheb Noolkar was on the deathbed desirous of obtaining some mantra from Baba, it is said that Baba did give him a few words to recite and repeat which Sri Noolkar did.
Is there a way to explain Baba's action, other than saying that His ways are inscrutable and His methods are unique? Shri Hemadpant wrote eloquently, "He incarnated Himself in this form and if any devotee meditated on Him day and night with complete self-surrender, he experienced complete union (without any difference) with Him like sweetness and sugar, waves and sea, eye and its luster. He, who wants to get rid of the cycle of births and deaths, should lead a righteous life, with his mind calm and composed. He should always engage himself in good actions, should do his duties and surrender himself, heart and soul to Him. He need not then be afraid of anything. He who trusts Him entirely, hears and expounds His Leelas and does not think of anything else, is sure to attain Self-realization.
Baba asked many to remember His name and to surrender to Him, but to those, who wanted to know who they were ('Who am I' enquiry), He advised Shravanam (study) and Mananam (meditation). To some, He advised remembering God's name, to others hearing His Leelas, to some worship of His Feet, to others reading and studying Adhyatma Ramayan, Jnaneshwari and other sacred scriptures. Some He made sit near His Feet, some He sent to Khandoba's temple, and some He advised the repetition of the thousands names of Vishnu and some the study of Chhandogya Upanishad and Geeta. There were no limit, nor restriction to His instructions. To some, He gave them in person. To others by visions in dreams. To one addicted to drink, He appeared in his dream, sat on his chest, pressed it and left him, after he gave a promise not to touch liquor anymore. To some, He explained some Mantras like `Gurur Brahma' in dreams. To some devotee, who was practising Hath-Yoga, He sent word that he should leave off Hath-Yoga practices, sit quiet and wait (Saburi). It is impossible to describe all His ways and methods".
Rajelakshmi Vidya Ram Sirisha Srinivas Navaneetha Madhavi Prabha Nikhila Ramadevi Rajani Saroja Chaitra Vishaal Gita Saipriya Shailendranath Praveena
Quotation of the Week:
"What I say, happens".-Shri Sai Baba
Q. We get to hear that whatever sufferings we undergo is due to the deeds of our previous births. To the contrary we also hear that whatever good or bad deeds we do, we have to experience the result in the same birth itself. Could anyone explain which is appropriate? A. by Vipul We talk about sufferings because we feel it by physical existence. But if we talk about our Atma it has no sufferings! Why we all are trying to get Moksha. Sufferings are nothing but feelings of your mind. It is because of thousands of years layers of our wrong thinking that our body is everything, but as said in Gita take out all these layers and then you will see that your Atma is everything. God. Aatma does not have good or bad feelings. Atma is out of all these things. "Sukh ki kaliya, Dukh ke kante, Sub man ka Aadhar". Some people with small problem are frightened and some are facing serious problems with smile. In fact, if we really believe and trust Sadguru Sri Sainath Maharaj then we do not have to worry for all these small things and try to follow Him to get moksha, so you will be relieved of all such questions.
Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
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