BABA’S LESSON TO OVERCOME GREED, TEMPTATION AND ATTACHMENT

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BABA’S LESSON TO OVERCOME GREED, TEMPTATION AND ATTACHMENT

Baba always wanted to see that his devotees were not subject to Raga-Dwesha. As

Rege sat near Baba at the mosque once, bunches of red plantains were brought by

some one. Rege was fond of them, and he thought that he was going to have a good

time of it. Baba of course knew that passed in his heart. So, when the fruits

came, Baba took up one fruit, peeled it off gave the pulp to others, and the

skin was thrown to Rege with the word Khav – for him to eat, as it was

the red skin that attracted him. The same thing was done a second time and

third time. All the three skins were quietly swallowed up by Rege on account of

his powerful bhakti to his Guru. At last, Baba took up one plantain and turning

to him, said, ‘Have I given you nothing?’ Then, after peeling off

the skin of one plantain, he bit off a portion and said it was nice. He

presented it to the mouth of Rege for him to bite off. Rege bit off a portion

and Baba bit off the next portion; so that, between the two, that fruit was

finished. so, Baba gave Rege a very well remembered and impressive lesson on

greed in the matter of eating.

Baba’s identity with him was the matter on which Rege was most keen in

1912, probably on Guru Poornima day, when he went to Shirdi, he carried no

garland. All the other went and garlanded Baba. Noting the absence of a garland

in his own hand, Rege felt mortified. Baba at once knew his hear, and lifted up

a bundle of garlands in his hands, and told Rege, ‘All these are

yours.’

Rege, on account of his great love for Baba, did not mind spending Rs. 85/- on

the purchase of a beautiful muslin, which when folded could be contained in

one’s hand. On a Ramanavami Day in 1916, all of Baba’s devotees

presented a piece of cloth each to Baba and got it back. But Rege, with his

muslin inside his shirt, bowed to Baba, and stealthily thrust it under

Baba’s gaddi so that no one would notice it. He came back. When all the

other clothes were presented and returned, Baba got up, and said, ‘The

Gaddi must be dusted. Remove it.’ The muslin was there under it. Baba

said, ‘Whose is this? I am not going to return it. This is mine.

'’Baba took it up, looked at Rege, spread out the muslin, put it over his

shoulders, and asked Rege, ‘Do I not look nice in this!’ That was

just what Rege wanted him to do, namely, to keep it – as there was no

difference between Rege and Baba. His identity with the Guru was established in

this practical way.

In another way also Baba granted this identity. This was in about 1916. Rege had

gone to Shirdi and was staying with Ayi. when Baba was alone, he sent for him,

and said, ‘The key of my treasury is now placed in your hands. Ask

anything you want, Rs. 5, Rs. 100 or what you like. I will give it to

you.’ This was a temptation, but Rege declined to ask for anything. Sai

Baba knew what was necessary, good or useful for Rege and it was for Baba to

decide what to give or what to withhold, and not for Rege to ask. So, Rege

would not ask. Then Baba held him by the chin and coaxed him to ask for

something, because he was anxious to give. Then Rege said, ‘Is it agreed,

Baba, that you grant anything I ask for?’. ‘Yes’, Baba

answered. Rege said, ‘Then Baba I want this. In this and in any future

birth that may befall me, you should never part from me. You should always be

with me’. Baba was full of joy and petting him said ‘Yes, I shall

be with you, inside you and outside you, whatever you may be or do’ Rege

felt then and feels even now, Baba is always with him. Baba also shows his form

visibly to him occasionally to reassure him and guide him.

This statement that Baba is always with Rege, and Rege always with Baba, came

from Sai Baba in a very forceful way again in 1916. on one occasion Baba showed

his deep concern for M.B. Rege’s comfort and happiness. It was about a

child that was the first child that Rege had. when in 1914 a child was still in

the womb, both Rege and his wife went to Baba for darshan. then Baba cryptically

said, ‘You have got one of my gifts with you.’ When the child was

born, it was taken to Baba. Baba then caressed it, and asked Rege, ‘Is

the child yours or mine?’ ‘Yours Baba,’ replied Rege. Then

Baba said, ‘Keep him with you as a charge from me.’ One might

wonder, with what object this was said. Baba fully knew what the future of that

child was to be and how it was to leave Rege and cause him much pain, being his

very first child. A year and half after that, the child got pneumonia, and the

doctors were saying that the danger was over. But just then it started sinking.

Rege took the child to the prayer room in his house and prayed to Baba.

‘The child is yours, Baba. So, please take it and give it rest in you.

But having given it its worldly existence, I undertake all its karma’,

said Rege. Then Rege put his palm on the head of the child. There was a smile

on its face, a last gasp and the crown of the head was drawn in with a hiss,

just the way in which the yogis lives would depart, namely, through the crown

of the head. To confirm his idea that the child had sadgati, he had an

experience, a couple of months later, when he went to Shirdi. as he was in

Baba’s presence, the latter asked some one, ‘Who is this man? where

does he live?’ pointing to Rege. They said, ‘This is Rege and he

lives at Indore.’ ‘No,’ said Baba, ‘You are wrong. he

is always here and I am with him.’ Next Baba asked , ‘Has he any

children?’ The person present said, ‘No Baba; his child has just

now died.’ Baba retorted, ‘Died? No, no. I will tell you what

happened. The child was mine, and this man agreed to keep it. One day he said,

‘You keep him with you, and I will take up his karma.’ So, I took

the child and kept it here, pointing to his heart’. Baba added, ‘He

shall be here eternally’. Eternal with Guru – God means undoubted

sadgati. That is how Baba tried to fore-warn Rege from the beginning about this

loss of his first child and how he consoled him by giving the child sadgati.

This being a memorable event is referred to in Sai Sahasranama in the following

words: Rege Sisoh Tathandasya Sada Sadgati Dayakah.

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

(Vasuki Mahal Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Trust, Coimbatore-641025, India)