Significance of Sai Babas Mahasamdhi- 6 By B.V.narasimha Swamy

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Success in life comes only to the bold, the intrepid, the thorough-going,

those who are indeed earnest about success and prepared to sacrifice all,

even pet notions, pet aversions, and pet loves. It is not commonly

recognised that one of the hardest things to give up is one's weakness, the

weakness that prevents man from facing the real truths of existence. Often

one finds something like a huge obstacles that stands in the way of one's

success and is frightened, but let him pluck up courage and stare the

difficulties in the face with fierce determination, to examine it, to dive

to its bottom and find out if it has real power to check his advance. Lo!

such examination reveals often the hollowness of the towering giants

standing in his way and the ease with which it can be knocked out. Often

enough, when one thinks himself helpless and inclined to despair, Jet him

just shake himself up and get himself into a prayerful mood, and cast about

for ways and means to achieve the end and carefully examine the

possibilities of helpers coming to his rescue. Ten to one, he is sure to get

more hopeful and practical and discover some at least with whose aid he will

achieve at least partial success. Let us all dare to think fearlessly as to

the real strength, meaning, and justification of so many assertions,

assumptions, faiths, creeds and slogans that are some times found to be

exerting their influence in keeping us down. Let us get to the bottom of

ourselves. Let us revalue our aims, goals and standards. Let us daringly put

the question to ourselves, "What is it we are really aiming at, and is the

same worth our trouble, and if it is, what steps are needed to achieve

success?" and let us resolve to take every stop necessary even if it

involves the highest sacrifice, because the cause must be worth the

sacrifice. If it is worth the sacrifice, it is cowardice to withdraw from

such sacrifice. If mere living is not our goal, if there are aims much

loftier and nobler than bare living then, we must be ready to sacrifice life

itself for achieving such goals; and every comfort or amenity that we are

hugging to our hearts now should be sacrificed with readiness.

Let us take for example our entire outlook on life today, first individual,

and then social, political or in other directions. Why not spend 15 or 30

minutes of earnest thought everyday to this most important matter? Let us

not fear that our search will lead us to Philosophy that will make us mad.

It is not quest of wisdom that will bereave us of reason. What does it is

the present drifting in cowardly fashion along the various currents of

thought that strike against us by the so-called public opinion which in

reality means the indigested and unanalysed views of numerous thoughtless or

poor thinking individuals, each receiving and passing on what are called

current ideas. Let us dare to stand against the current to grapple with it,

to demand of it reason to justify its assumed power and soundness. Not

infrequently shall we find that the assumptions, which easy going people

fall in to about their capabilities, their duties, and their possibilities,

are really unjustifiable. First let us take the question what we are living

for and striving for. It is really for the loaves and fishes that the vast

majority are running after? Is it wealth that I am wanting or seeking? Is it

position, power or fame? Am I seeking to be in the limelight in the eyes of

vast multitude? Let me decide as an impartial judge would decide as to which

of these or any thing else, I am the slave. After boldly divine within and

examining the course of conduct I am pursuing, let me decide which motive or

power is the dominating motive or power in my case at present. After that,

let me conscientiously ask "Is this the only thing that life has to offer or

are there other possible goals and, if so, is this the best of all the

alternatives? Is it really worthwhile living, that is, spending my lifetime

and all my life energies for this object? What pleasure, happiness or

satisfaction do I derive—first aiming at this, next by striving and taking

various steps to reach this, and last the actual attainment of this object?"

One need not shy at this questions either with the fear that people coming

to know of such self-enquiry may laugh at it or the fear that one would set

himself in opposition to numerous others by pursuing one's lonely course in

total defiance of popular conventions, or even the fear that the strenuous

mental efforts involved might shatter one's entire physical and mental frame

and lead one to the sick bed or the mental hospital. Come what may, we must

dare and struggle to reach the highest, and if we fall there is nothing to

bar fresh and repeated endeavors in the same direction with real faith in

God and the Guru. If such spirited efforts are made, they will undoubtedly

lead us to the highest that life has to offer.

It is in the above strenuous spirit that Sri Sai Baba worked upto 70 years

of his life; and it is that which accounted for the perfect integration of

his character. That character being essentially of the elements is known as

Daivaprakriti. His integrated character may be termed Divine. He dared to

take up the great truths of the Mahavakyas e.g., "Ayam Atma Brahma"

"Tatvamasi", "Aham Brahmasmi"— expressing them in the Arabic and Urdu forms

"Analhuq" and "Maim Allahum". While many are staggered at the practical

impossibility of their overcoming their ideas of being individual self by

dissolving in the cosmic self from which it emanated (in the manner in which

a pratibimba emanates from the bimba), Baba dared to give up the self and

merge himself in the universal being, Allah. While most of us cannot escape

identifying ourselves with the physical sheaths called the "body", he dared

and succeeded in crossing those sheaths and transcended the body. In his own

words, "This body is my house, My Guru took me away far from it long ago".

That is by the Guru's grace, he overcame the Dehatma-buddhi not only

intellectually but also in actual realisation. "Place this body upon a

funeral pyre and burn it", he said referring to his own body, "and I shall

be witness of it unaffectedly." That is, while he was in the flesh, he fully

realised himself as out of it, that is, he realised his divine nature as a

jeevan-mukta does and was a jeevanmukta; and in Oct. 1918, when his physical

sheath was cast off, he would be a Videhamukta with however a

determination—the determination to continue to do unattached beneficial work

to help the devotees, that is, to work as Iswara. That is the meaning of his

Mahasamadhi. In this Mahasamadhi of his, we the devotees find the full

benefit. We glory in it. We make the fullest use of it by holding before our

minds' eye the picture of Sai, his deeds, all glittering as divine traits.

And this picture growing vivid every day not only blesses us in various

efforts but transforms our whole life into His or Him.

May He now bless one and all!

 

(Adopted from Significance of Babas Mahasamadhi by H.H.Narasimhaswami and

published by All India Sai Samaj, this book can be read at

www.saileelas.org)