“Dhyan-moolam Gurormurtih,

                 Pooja-moolam Gurorpadam,

                 Mantra-moolam Gurorvakyam,

                 Mukti-moolam Gurorkripa”.

FROM "LIFE OF SAI BABA" BY NARASIMHA SWAMI   

....."It is always good to pray, because it brings one in contact with God. The prayer, however, that is found most common in society is occasional prayer for a definite material object, and there it stops. It is always advisable to avoid the commercial spirit when dealing with God. We should not bargain with God. Nor should we say, ‘I will pray to you only for such and such an object being gained’. The thought of God purifies the soul, and the purified soul gets power to draw God more and more into it. The commercialized soul, if too much oppressed with the contemplation of the worldy benefit is handicapping itself and preventing its purification, that is, saturation with God idea (purity means having God-idea and impurity is lack of God or God-­idea). The very idea of material objects may so obsess a mind as practically to obliterate the thought of God. God then becomes only a secondary consideration, a sort of side element, a weak coloration when the main object before the mind’s eye is worldly gain. Such approaches are deplorable, however attractive the object to be gained by prayer may be. One ought to have prayer without concentrating too much on worldly gains. Concentration on God alone is purity. Purity means power, and when a soul is thoroughly pure, and then the objects entertained in the mind of the prayerful soul some time previously, that is even before the prayer began, remain in the subconscious, i.e. at the back of the praying party’s mind and may come to fruition by the power of the purified and strengthened soul. This is an incidental benefit which ought not to turn the scales when one considers how he should pray. Prayer is primarily and essentially only an affair of the soul with God. All intervention of outside objects is an interference with the soul’s concentration on God. Prayer must be purified by very keen practice- i.e. it must be shorn of all undesirable gross elements just as we keep off the floating moss repeatedly when we bathe in a tank. In cases where however one is in dire extremity and prayer comes out from him for a much needed object, in spite of oneself, then the prayer cannot be condemned at all. Prayer is a natural vent for the heart. We leap out at what we want on the wings of prayer. It is God Himself that has implanted this tendency to seek God’s help to attain objects of great importance to one’s material or spiritual life and each time we so seek, we should stress in our mind that God is our first and final object and that other objects form a temporary and partial diversion or screen." ...........

DEVOTEE'S EXPERIENCE

For some reason I did agree. My wife requested me not to drink until the bhajan was over to which I strongly objected. I replied by saying that anything which comes before my drink was not acceptable. My drinking was so bad that on many occasions I ended up in police cell or hospital. With a good drink I went to the bhajan. When I returned back home as usual I poured my drink in the glass but to my surprise I could not drink. Some magic restrained me to take even a sip.

That day onwards I started getting the vibrations of Baba and my faith in Him started to build. I read His Sai Satcharitra. As time passed my drinking gradually re­ceded and my faith arose. I went to Shirdi and my life started improving slowly but steadily.

I found all the time something miraculous happening to me and I fully became dependent on Baba. I fol­lowed each and every suggestion as mentioned in the Satcharitra. I followed word by word of what was writ­ten in the book. I never eat or drink or use anything without first offering to Baba. On my second visit to Shirdi I bought a Murti of Baba and on my return to UK, I did not have my ticket confirmed. Yet I managed to travel in first class with Baba having separate seat and by passing all security checks, as all the staff at the Bombay airport were devotees of Baba.

For the last 4/5 years I have lit a lamp in front of Baba's Murti. I was warned by friends and family about the risk of fire in the house while we are not at home but I do not listen to anyone. Today nearly after 6/7 years of my faith in Baba I have with his blessing achieved five business areas, three residential proper­ties.

AII in my family relations, community members (I was an active community worker) do not understand as to how I have achieved all this whereas I was bankrupt and penniless and also had my business and house auctioned. All I wish to say to all Baba's devotees is that one has to become a part of Baba, follow his wishes and not despair. He will give you all that you need without your asking Him. Faith is needed.

I did not achieve all easily. We have to work hard as well but keep Baba in mind and heart. The task will be painless.

Pravin Unadkat

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