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 FROM SHRI C.B. SATPATHY'S MESSAGE
……“Human beings, a very
few of them, in the path of spiritual evolution spread over
hundreds of lives, reach the “Beyond State of God”. Having
reached that state, a few of them, as a player in the Divine
game come to the earth in human embodiment. Some such souls,
known as Shivatmas remain in the God state or the Parambramha
state, with all the attributes of God i.e. unlimited power,
unlimited knowledge and unlimited love. It is this attribute
of unlimited love or kindness that forces some of them to
come down to earth in human form and ameliorate the misery
of life-forms on earth. Such a soul is known as a ‘Sadguru’.
When the Sadguru leaves His body, the same Divine “love aspect”
operates through another body, ready for the purpose. Someone
may ask as to where does the soul of Sadguru go after he leaves
his body. The soul of Sadguru is eternal, all pervading and
always in the state of Parabramha or Almighty. All Sadgurus
are the same spirit and are within each other as much as they
are within God or in a state of God. There are five Sadgurus
guiding the affairs of the Universe at any point even today
and at all points of time to come. For example, if an ant
were to move on the body of one Sadguru, the sensation will
be felt by the other Sadgurus. Their personalities may seem
to be different but their egos are one - the ego of the Oversoul
or God. Being in God state whatever they say becomes the command
of God for that time as also for all times to come.
While thinking of Shri
Shirdi Sai, in the context of His Mahasamadhi day, we must
remember that-:
• Shri Sai, as the Param
Sadguru is God, is in God and will always remain as God.
• He had embodied Himself
by the love aspect of God for the suffering lot, and that
His kindness is unfathomable.
• His job is to carry
out the functions of God - creation, sustenance and destruction,
and to lead souls in their spiritual journey towards Divinity.
After leaving the body He is there in his God state, as a
cosmic reality.
• He is looking after
His devotees and children as much today as He used to when
He was at Shirdi.
• His devotees may go
on taking birth life after life, but Shri Sai will be there
always to help and guide them towards happiness and spiritual
evolution.
We must, therefore, make
Him our mainstay of life and pray to Him with all our heart
and soul.”…….
FROM
"LIFE OF SAI BABA" BY NARASIMHA SWAMI
……“Charity or
alms-giving is stressed in every religion as also in the Hindu
scriptures as stated already. Yet as very few understand and
practice it correctly, Baba had to give Nana instructions
on Daana to reduce lobha, moha and mada especially through
increasing contact with God. Baba’s instructions to Nana are
found in the Gospel 306-309. The first advice was that alms
giving should be straightforward. No one when asked for alms
should utter falsehood and say ‘I have not got it’ (the money
or other things prayed for), when he has got it, but only
decline to give it in polite terms and say that circumstances
do not allow the giving. No crooked ways should be adopted.
Yet after this advice was given, some time later, Nana, who
had promised to pay Rs. 300 for charity to be done at the
Kopergaon Datta temple, did not bring the money and therefore
avoided a visit to the temple, which was on his way to Shirdi.
He, with the approval of his friend, took a detour through
a very thorny path, as a result of which he and his friend
ran thorns in their bodies. When they reached Shirdi, Baba
would not talk to them.
C: - Why don't you talk to me?
B:-Nana, when a man says
he will remember the lessons I taught him but really does
not, how can I talk to him?
C:-Baba I remember all
your lessons.
B: - You gentleman, you
evade seeing ‘Sircar’ (God Datta and take a detour. Why? Because
the sadhu will ask you for ¬Rs. 300. Is this the way to
remember my lesson? If you have not got the money, if it was
not easy to arrange it, you have only to tell him the fact.
Will that saint eat you? But what device is this to avoid
the temple of God for fear of the saint demanding money? Well
then, have not thorns pierced your feet and body and the posterior
part of your sapient friend? How can I talk to such a person?
Again Baba advised Nana
to give his alms without any arrogance or anger and that if
any beggar was not pleased and wanted more, then the beggar
should be answered suavely. Wrath and official authority should
not be flung at him. Nana thought this quite easy. But on
one occasion when his wife was being pestered at Kalyan by
a Brahmin beggar woman, who was not content with one-eighth
of a measure, one-fourth of a measure, one-half of a measure,
or one measure, or even 2 measures, of Bhajani (Poriarisi
porikollu) i.e. fried and seasoned rice, and who threatened
not to leave the house (at all) till the whole stock of four
measures in the possession of the lady was handed over to
her, Nana’s wife lost patience and sent for her husband. Nana
came and gave it hot to the beggar woman. ‘Either you take
what is given or the peon will neck you out’, he stiffly remarked.
Then the beggar woman left. When later Nana went to Baba,
Baba again refused to talk to him. “Mitra Dandam Abhashanam”
is the well known saying. That means, ‘The way to punish a
friend is by refusing to talk to him.’ When Nana asked for
an explanation, Baba said, ‘You forgot the lesson I gave.
When that beggar woman was importuning you for more and more
bhajani, why did you show your anger and official authority,
and threaten to neck her out? What mattered it if you suavely
refused to give more? The woman would have remained for some
time longer and left of her own accord’. Nana recognized that
this mysteriously over watching guardian angel of his was
watching him every moment and anticipating the temptations
and evils that would befall him, and that he should be more
careful in carrying out his (Baba’s) instructions. Thus, Lobha
by leading to arrogance, insolence etc. in Nana was put down
by Baba, and Nana recognized more and more what true daana
was.”……
ARTICLE
BABA
AN EMINENT DISCIPLE
A fakir, Jawahar Ali by name, who was a resident of Ahmednagar,
came to Rahata, along with his disciples. Choosing an open
space near the Veerbhadra temple, the fakir set up his camp
there. But the fakir was really very fortunate. Had it not
been so, how could he have had such a famous and delightful
disciple as Sai?
The fakir was very learned. The Quran-e-sharif was at the
tips of his fingers. Many people - some selfish, some spiritual,
and some pious and faithful - became his followers. He began
constructing an Idgah. Some time went by; he was then accused
of defiling the temple of Veerbhadra. Then the construction
work of the Idgah came to a halt and the fakir was driven
out of the village. From there he came to Shirdi and stayed
with Baba in the mosque. The Fakir was a sweet talker. The
whole village adored him and people said that he had cast
a spell on Baba too, and charmed him completely. 'You be my
disciple' said he to Baba, and Baba, with his playful disposition,
assented. The fakir was delighted and took Baba out of Shirdi.
With an eminent disciple like Baba, Jawahar Ali became the
guru. Then they both decided to go and live in Rahata.
The guru did not know his disciples marvelous ways; but the
disciple knew the guru's short-comings. But never did the
disciple show disrespect, thereby observing the duties of
a good disciple. Whatever command came form the guru's mouth,
proper or improper, was obeyed, no sooner it was given. Baba
even served His master in various ways. Thus the days passed
in service of the Guru. But then it so happened that though
they would come to Shirdi off and on, their main stay was
in Rahata. The loving devotees of Baba in Shirdi did not like
Baba staying away from them in Rahata. They thought that by
yogic powers the Fakir had bound Sai to himself, whereas Baba's
plan was altogether different, it was His way of destroying
the ego. The villagers were greatly agitated in their minds
to see Shri Sai so much in the power of Jawahar Ali and were
in serious thought as to how he could be won back.
As gold and it's lustre, as lamp and it's light, so was the
inseparable state of this guru and disciple. And they both
had this experience of Oneness. So they went in a deputation
to bring Baba back to Shirdi. When they met Baba near the
Idgah and told Him the purpose of their visit, Baba said to
them that the Fakir was an angry, ill-tempered fellow, he
would not leave Him and that, they should better go back to
Shirdi without Him before the Fakir returned. While they were
thus talking, the Fakir turned up and was very angry with
them for trying to take away his Disciple. There was some
hot discussion and altercation, and it was finally decided
that both the Fakir and Baba should return to Shirdi. After
a few days the Fakir was brought in the presence of
Guru Devidas, who was dispassion incarnate and a dhayani.
He engaged the Fakir in a religious debate in Shirdi and exploded
all his misconceptions. Thus Jawahar Ali was worsted and fled
from Shirdi. He went and stayed in Vaijapur and returned to
Shirdi after many years and prostrated humbly before Shri
Sainath. All his misconceptions about himself being the guru
and Sai his disciple, were dispelled and by repentance he
was purified. Baba also accepted him with respect, as before.
Such were Baba's inscrutable ways! The issues got resolved
when the proper time came. In this case Sainath showed by
His conduct and practice, how one should get rid of egoism
and do the duties of a disciple to attain the highest end,
viz., self-realization.
There is no better state than that one should completely surrender
to one's guru, or that one should totally accept the disciple
as one's own. Without this relationship one cannot cross the
ocean of worldly life.
Bow to Shri Sai, Peace Be to All
Shammi
Chopra, Canada
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DEVOTEE'S EXPERIENCE
Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi,
my Lord and Master, my God, my Friend and my Confidante. What
can I write about him when I exist because of his Kripa?
The year was 1999 and
we had just moved into Delhi. My wife Anu developed a large
tumour on her back. We consulted many doctors. The unanimous
decision was that an operation was needed and a Biopsy will
be required to decide malignancy. Malignant is a malignant
word. We got really scared. My wife has been always been scared
of the scalpel. She lost her father at the very young age
of 11 years and ever since has regarded Shirdi Sai has her
father. So she kept putting off the operation on one pretext
or the other, saying - Baba will cure me, etc. The growth
meanwhile became the size of a fist and was painful to touch.
One day during the Morning
Prayer I asked Baba to spare Anu the operation and said that
I would donate the money saved by not having to undergo the
operation as building material for Baba’s temple in Sadhaura
(a small hamlet near Jagadhari) where some construction was
required. Doctors had given us an estimate of Rs. 12 to 15
thousand). Why Sadhaura is another story - some other time.
A week passed and then
suddenly a doctor friend of mine whom we had been consulting
telephoned me that his elder brother - a renowned surgeon
from Lucknow was going to be in town to operate upon his sister-in-law
and maybe we would like to seek his opinion in the matter.
When we reached the hospital on the designated day the surgeon
from Lucknow was operating in the O.T. Soon he came out and
my friend told him about Anu's problem. The surgeon told Anu
to step into the O.T. so that he could examine her. I waited
outside and after 20 minutes or so Anu walked out and told
me that she had been operated upon - a sample taken for Biopsy
and sent to the lab and we were free to go home! Anu was of
course in pain and completely bewildered. When I enquired
about the charges, I was told there was no charge because
friends do not charge each other! We just could not believe
it.
In Delhi where a doctor
could charge you even if you asked him the directions to his
clinic an operation had been performed without charge! This
was a gesture unheard of. We were completely dumbstruck by
Baba’s Leela. The right way to get rid of the tumour apparently
was an operation, whether Anu liked it or not. Keeping Anu’s
fears in mind however the operation had been carried out without
any fuss, almost as you would pull out a child’s loose tooth
by diverting the child’s attention while saying, let me see...
let me see…..and then khat ...it comes out. To top it all
no charge because the money thus saved would have better use
in a temple situated 200 kms away. This was Sai leela and
its fantastic execution to the minutest detail. But then these
are small things for my Sarkar, $ainath of Shirdi. And this
was not the end. There was more to follow!!
I remembered my prayer
and my promise and pledged to complete it soonest. In fact
I even called up Shri Navneet Sharma the caretaker and Panditji
of Baba’s mandir at Sadhaura and promised him that I will
be soon organizing some construction material for the temple.
Incidentally this is a small temple standing on pillars in
the middle of a pond and some of the structures needed reinforcement
and hence the need for cement, iron girders etc.
Time passed and I got
busy and kept postponing the promised visit to Sadhaura. After
about 6 months as good luck would have it my friend Sanjeev
Gupta was going to Shirdi and on the spur of the moment he
asked me to join him. So without any program or reservation,
off I went see my Sarkar. Summons from the Chief, I thought.
We reached Shirdi very comfortably and had nice Darshan. Next
day Sanjeev told me about a fine temple of Baba near Kopargaon
constructed by Shri Chavan Baba who was himself spiritually
a very realized person and was known to our Shri Satpathyji.
The meeting with Chavan Baba also known as Dhondi Baba was
very eventful. Dhondi Baba seemed to know all about us without
our even opening our mouths. We were humbled and moved. Dhondi
Baba then suddenly looked at me and said “Rajeev Sahib ek
aadmi Dilli se aya tha; usney bola tha ki wo cement aur sariya
bhejega. Maloom nathi baad mein nahi aaya” (Rajeev Sahib,
one fellow from Delhi had promised 'to send cement and iron
girders; did not show up after that). I listened to him, made
some sympathetic noises; touched his feet took prasad and
came back to Shirdi. While attending the shej aarti the same
night, suddenly what Dhondi Baba, had said came to my mind
“Dilli se ek aadmi aaya tha...” and I realized the importance
of that sentence and realized that woh admi mein hi hun. I
felt like a worm, but at the same time I also felt elated
that Baba had spoken to me and had gently reminded to do as
I had promised. It was again a confirmation (if ever needed)
of how forgiving and kind my Sadguru is. After the aarti I
shared this with Sanjeev Gupta, my friend who was with me.
He too was flabbergasted and gave me his quota of gallis.
Duly chastened, I returned
to Delhi and the day after made a plan to go to Sadhaura.
Sanjeev, wanting to see the culmination of this Sai leela,
joined me.
It is a four-hour drive
to Sadhaura from Delhi and we reached around 11 am.
Together with Shri Navneet
Sharmaji we proceeded to the hardware shop. I had carried
with me Rs. 15000/- as per my promise with Baba. We bought
bricks, cement, iron girders, and paid for everything - a
total of Rs. 14,850!
We decided then to spend
time in the mandir while the goods came in. I had paid for
the goods and now felt relieved. Of the fifteen thousand,
only Rs. 150 was left. I was happy that my estimate had been
right and that we had not run short of money. Just then a
bullock cart walla, who had brought sand came to us and said
that he had not been paid. Sanjeev and I looked at each other
and even though we could guess the answer. I asked him “how
much?” “Rs. 150, sahib” of course was the answer!! My Sadguru
had even done my accounting for me.
Sanjeev and I were stunned.
So was Shri Navneetji. There was complete silence accompanied
by tears of gratitude.
Slowly we started back
for Delhi with our hearts filled in love and gratitude for
Baba Sai the Param Sadguru.
Rajeev Dar, Delhi
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DEVOTEES' FORUM
BE THANKFUL
Be thankful
that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful
when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity
to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult
times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
Because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means
you've made a difference.
It's easy to be thankful
for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful
for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can
become your blessings.
Vrinda Kumar,
Delhi
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Devotees’ Forum
READER'S REFLECTION
Your magazine can become a number one on Shri Sai Baba. A
good vibrant editorial based on knowledge on the functioning
of a magazine and the devotees should have an urge to go in
for the magazine they are looking for.
M Krishna Kumar, Secunderabad
As an ardent devotee of Shirdi Sai since very long time, I
found this site interesting as it gives an opportunity to
know more about several devotees and from other Shirdi Sai
websitessite as well. I shall try to subscribe to the magazine
and also to contribute some articles.
Lanka Venkata
Subba Rao, Visakhapatnam
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Reader's Reflection
NEWS OF
SHIRDI SAI
ACTIVITIES
SHIRDI
SAI BABA SANSTHAN, CANADA
THE RESOURCE
CENTRE
Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada is pleased to
announce the establishment of it's first Resource Centre in
Woodbridge, Toronto. All visits are by appointment only. Shri Sai
Satcharita is available in all languages. The Resource Centre is
open Mon to Friday between 10:00 - 5:00PM. Location: Maple Crest
Private School - 28 Roytech Rd. Woodbridge, On L4L 8E4 Ph: 905 -
652-6666 For other Details call 416-294-4804 or visit http://www.shirdisainath.org/
SHIRDI SAI MANDIR, TORONTO, CANADA
The Shirdi Sai Mandir located at 2721 Markham Road, Toronto,
Ontario, M1X 1L5 (Intersection of Markham and Nashdene) is
open through out the day on Saturday, Sunday & holidays
and in the morning and evenings on all weekdays. Baba's Kakad
Aarti, Abhishek Puja, Madhyan Aarti, Dhoop Aarti, Satcharita
Reading & Shej Aarti are performed everyday. Bhajans &
Sai Naam Sankirtan in evening on Thursday & Saturday.
For daily schedule, temple activities & events information
please visit Mandir's website : http://www.theshirdisaimandir.com/
or send an email to info@theshirdisaimandir.com
or call 647-444-4724.
PERSATUAN SHIRDI SAI BABA SELANGOR, MALAYSIA
I belong to the Shirdi Sai Group (registered as Persatuan
Shirdi Sai Baba, Selangor), Malaysia. Sai Ram everybody. This
to inform the Baba devotees in Malaysia and Singapore that
every Thursday we conduct prayers in the morning at 9.00 am
and bhajans and satsang in the evenings 7.30 pm onwards. Anyone
who is interested in joining us may please contact SP Kannan
at 012-2739486; or Usha at 012-2392911; or Res: 03-33717540.
Also if you come across any Malaysian devotees, please direct
them to us. Thank you and Sai Ram.
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