IS SAI BABA TO BE BROKEN?

[Guest guest]

IS SAI BABA TO BE BROKEN?

 

In the 1943 December issue of Sai Sudha, the question is raised and

answered whether Sai Baba is builder or breaker. In that very issue,

a `devotee' in stating his experience of Sai Baba, narrates how he

lost faith in Sai Baba and consequently broke Baba's image and how

some one else with more faith in Baba successfully used the broken

bits of that image for improving a patient's health. This was perhaps

a distance repercussion produced by the Sai Sudha of a similar

conduct of another `devotee' leading to similar results. It is not

improbable that this secondary report may have similar further

repercussions. Hence, it is the solemn duty of those responsible for

the journal at any cost to analyse the mentality of these `devotees'

frankly, so as to prevent further repetition of iconoclastic frenzy.

 

Let us carefully dive into the minds and hearts of numerous devotees,

who `proclaim their devotion to Sai with complacency and pride. In

most cases, the devotees will be found to be a bargain, -Sai to give

so much temporal benefit and the devotee to offer his namaskarams,

archanas, naivedyams etc., in return. Most people frankly declare

that (only) in case of the benefit being reaped, the devotion will be

confirmed and the proposed naivedyams etc., offered. This may not be

considered bhakti at all and in any case, not a bhakti of very

estimable sort. But, in the same, this is how devotion starts, is

made to start or can start in the vast majority of cases. No

objection should be raised to rudimentary bhakti being so crude. But

it would be pitiable indeed if bhakti should continue to be so crude,

after the early days and stages are passed. The child soon throws

away the teething ring, trundle hoop and springtoys, one after

another. So should a bhakti soon recognise the absurdity of resorting

to God (or Godmen, who are the manifestations of God that men can

easily reach to) merely to pull out one's earthly chestnuts from the

fire. God is not to be bargained with and God knows what is really

good for a devotee better than the devotee. Regard for God beginning

with gratitude for one or more extraordinary acts of help must turn

into Love, the Love of a child to its mother touched into sublimity

by dim perception of Infinite Power, Wisdom, etc., in the unseen

Universal Mother. Failure to advance will be not mere stagnation but

descent into lower and lower levels.

 

Let us note the evil effects of continuous looking to Baba earthly

benefits. Our longing for earthly benefits gets strengthened i.e.,

rajas and tamas get more and more to predominate in our nature,

clouding the satva and even temporarily banishing it from us. The

evils of tamas and rajas rise up at once. A bit of disappointment

makes us angry with God and saints that we have just worshipped for

earthly objects alone and we break our idols and gods, fiercely

trample upon them and gloat over our vandalism. If we but worshipped

in the correct spirit, we would ask for earthly benefits, not in a

bargaining spirit, nor in terms of dictation but with humble

submission recognising the possibility that the All-wise Mother-God

might deem it better to disappoint us and make us suffer in the

present, to wipe off old karmic accounts, to develop the satwic side

of our nature and to fit us perhaps for the position decreed by

Supreme Wisdom and Mercy. The Omnipotent, Omniscient and universal

Mother provides for the present and future of innumerable creatures

with apparently conflicting interests and may make use of us as her

instruments or even as agents to carry our her high decrees. It is

for us to submit our Wills and to be receptive. If we are in this

proper mood, prayers are found to be needless assertion of ego, not

promoting but retarding our real progress.

 

The general observations have been made with a view to help people to

approach Sai Baba, one of the most powerful manifestations of God in

recent times, in the correct spirit. Let people go to him for earthly

benefit if they want. But let them realise more and more that is God

that they are really dealing with. Let the apparent distinction

between Baba and God that appears at first so patent be dissolved in

the increased appreciation of the divine attributes of Sai Baba i.e.,

his wonderful and obviously limitless Love and Power, Wisdom and

Mercy. Let us recognise that our notions of God are really

abstractions and that it is wise not to ignore and lose the concrete

manifestation of God before us in trying to clutch at abstractions

that are so elusive. If we recognise Baba as God or divine amsa, can

we ever try to break his image without descending to the level of a

Hiranya kasipu or Kamsa or Satan?

 

It is not unlikely that just a few people that read the above may

feel hurt. No personal hit, however, against any particular person is

intended, and the writer deprecates the assumption of any personal

animus in him. But the intention of this article is deliberately to

hit at certain traits and attitudes. People sticking to those traits

and attitudes may feel aggrieved at the hit. The writer must only

apologize and hope that his motive i.e., desire to benefit the soul

by pruning off dead and dying matter will ultimately appreciated when

the soul's growth is promoted as a result of such pruning.

 

(Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B V Narasimha Swamiji)