SIGNIFICANCE OF BABA'S MAHASAMADHI (1)

[Guest guest]

SIGNIFICANCE OF BABA’S MAHASAMADHI:

 

 

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 recognized 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, let him just shake himself up and

get himself into a prayful 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 troubles, and if

it is, what steps are needed to achieve success?” and

let us resolve to take every step 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 ill-digested and unanalyzed 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 majorities 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 has to offer or are there other

possible goal 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 objective?”

 

One need not shy at this question 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 we fall there is

nothing to bar fresh and repeated endeavours 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 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.

Ahile 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 to the

Dehatmabuddhi not only intellectually but also in

actual realization. “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 realized himself

as out of it, that is, he realized his divine nature

as a jeevanmukta does and was a jeevanmukta; and in

October 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 !!!

 

(Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji)

 

 

 

 

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