September 28, Shirdi Sai Baba Baba's Birthday

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September 28, Shirdi Sai Baba Baba's Birthday

 

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The two bodies are different, but the Divinity is One. The first

advent (Shirdi Sai Baba) was for revealing Divinity. The second

advent (Sathya Sai Baba) is to awaken the Divinity (in human

beings). The next advent (Prema Sai) is for propagating Divinity.

The three Sais are Shirdi Sai, Sathya Sai, and Prema Sai. The reason

for relating all this is that today happens to be the birthday of

Shirdi Sai Baba (September 28, 1835). Shirdi Baba attained samadhi

in 1918. Bodies are transient. These vestures are assumed only for

the sake of devotees. Unless the Divine comes with a form, no one

can develop faith in the Formless. The Divine in human form is the

preparation for comprehending the formless Absolute.

 

- Sri Sathya Sai Baba

 

Divine Discourse September 28, 1991

 

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Source:

http://www.srisathyasai.org.in/pages/bhagawan/Reincar/Re_Incar.htm

 

Reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba

 

>From Shirdi to Parthi

 

Even in his early days, Sathyanarayana was giving clues about his

kinship, nay, identity, with the Saint of Shirdi, even from his

childhood. When he taught his companions songs on a Babaji, whom no

one had seen or heard about, and on a place of pilgrimage to which

no one had gone, people wondered! Where is this Shirdi, they asked

each other. Who was this Muslim fakir? Little did they realise that

the child in their midst, singing and dancing so captivatingly was,

in a few years, make their village another Shirdi to which hundreds

and thousands seeking the same Baba will be coming!

 

When finally the formal announcement was made by Sathyanarayana,

that he was Sai Baba, of Bharadwaja Gothram, Apasthambha Sutram, and

of Shirdi, He was asked, If you are Sai Baba show us some miracle

now! and the boy said, Bring me some jasmine flowers; when they were

placed in their hands he threw the flowers and lo! they fell in the

form of Telugu letters, Sai Baba, flower behind flower, as if

arranged with meticulous skill, all the curves and convolutions of

the Telugu letter perfectly reproduced! The elder brother ,Seshama

Raju, who had learnt by long practice to live with the miracle boy,

was himself surprised at the emphasis of the revelation.

 

The Previous Body

 

Sathya Sai Baba invariably refers to 'my previous body' when he

speaks about Shirdi Baba. He often describes to his devotees, how

he, in his previous body dealt with people and situations, what

illustrations he gave to amplify certain points, what questions were

asked, etc. He quotes what he told Dasganu or Mahalaspathi in the

last birth. While telling people about Shirdi baba, he may be

saying, just as you have seen me do now or just as I do while in

trance, to make the point clear. Sometimes he replies a question

with a remark, the same doubt was raised by a man who had come to

Shirdi and He would continue the conversation with the reply He gave

the other man long ago in Maharashtra! He recognizes all the

devotees of Shirdi Baba as His own. In fact, He tells them, I have

known you since ten years or Though this is the first time you see

this, Sairam, I have seen you twenty years ago when you came to

Shirdi and the person will find that he had been to Shirdi exactly

twenty years ago.

 

He has vouchsafed to his devotees, lockets and talismans with

pictures of Shirdi Baba or of Shirdi Baba with His own portrait. As

a matter of fact, no distinction is made or allowed to be made in

worship or puja between Himself and the previous manifestation. In

fact, there are in the Prasanthi Nilayam Prayer Hall, two pictures

which demonstrate this continuity. They are both captivatingly

charming. During early days, on Guru Purnima Day, the silver statue

of Shirdi Baba in his usual cross legged posture sitting on an

impressive silver Adisesha would be brought out and Abhishekam

performed with vibhuti coming out in a profuse shower from an empty

pot. In the Ashtothara Sathanamavali or the list of 108 names with

which Baba is worshipped, names specifically attributable to Shirdi

Baba are included. Sathya Sai Baba is addressed as 'He who was born

in the village of Parthi. and also as He who was living in the

village of Shirdi' ,etc. Baba is also praised as 'He who is the

undifferentiated incarnation of Shirdi Sai Sakthi and He who is the

Embodiment of Shirdi Sai' etc.

 

The purpose of both the Sai avatars are the same. Only, the need to

transform the modern wisdom has now become more imminent. Then, the

emphasis was more on community, now it is on the individual; then

the message was given to comparatively few, now all are welcome to

it. And it is even taken to the doors of the needy. The same love of

the unity of religions indicated on the Sarva Dharma Symbol; the

same overwhelming love for devotees coupled with the utmost

detachment; miracles intensely dramatic in a similar fashion,

revealing omniscience and omnipresence; the same utter disregard for

personal safety, comfort or fame; to know the identity that persists

in these matters is to add a new dimension to one's understanding of

Shirdi Sai and Sathya Sai.

 

The Same Baba

 

Years ago, the Rani of Chincholi went to Puttaparthi to see

Bhagawan. Even as she was entering the gate, Bhagawan told one of

the close devotees standing there: Ask her to bring the brass lota

that I left at her house years ago. The Rani Saheb herself did not

know much about it. But, on a thorough search of heirlooms in the

house, it turned out that the brass lota of Shirdi Baba, who had

visited the house years ago, had been carefully preserved by elders

among other things. Sri Dixit, the nephew of Kakasaheb Dixit, who

was a close disciple of Shirdi Baba, went to Puttaparthi to put an

acid test to the identity of Sathya Sai Baba with Shirdi Baba. He

always carried a small photo of his uncle in his pocket. The first

thing that Bhagawan asked Dixit to do was to take out the photograph

of 'My Kaka' from the pocket! There is also the thrilling story of

the old lady, who had seen Shirdi Baba and who found the promise

given to her by Shirdi Baba fulfilled by Sathya Sai.

 

There is a miraculous incident related by Pedda Venkama Raju's

sister.She was troubling, Baba with a request to grant her some

vision, to instil faith in her heart, for, she did not want to

dismiss the story of Sai Avatar as an invention, an attitude that

many in the family found it easy to assume. Baba had a liking for

this particular lady, because she was a simple soul, steeped in

suffering; so, He told her, " I shall show you My previous Body this

evening ! She confesses that she could not contain her joy and was

praying for a shorter afternoon and a quicker sunset ! As soon as

dusk fell, Baba led her across a number of doorsills, into one of

the innermost rooms of the house, and on reaching the farthest, He

took off His palm which was all the while covering her eyes and

asked her to look at a corner, which He pointed out with His Finger.

The lady looked! And, there sat Shirdi Sai Baba, on the floor, in

His characteristic pose, but, she says, with eyes closed and Vibhuti

marks on the forehead and arms. The incense sticks before Him were

burning and the smoke was rising straight into the air! His Body was

glowing with a strange effulgence and there was a beautiful

fragrance around. After a minute or so, Baba asked her," Have you

seen ?" and, when she said, " Oh, how wonderful!", He placed His

palm again firmly over her eyes and led her back into the outer room.