LET US WELCOME LORD'S GUESTS!

[Guest guest]

Let us Welcome Lord’s Guests

Beloved Sairam,

Hospitality is not only meant for our homes, but also equally applicable to Sai

Mandirs, as these are inseparable part of our life. We must consider all

devotees in Mandir as our special guests. Baba advocated that we have united in

this birth because of our rinanubhanda and we must love each other without any

limitation. Few simple ways, which Baba showed us, may bring the Mandir

environment more pleasant and highly enjoyable.

In many Mandirs there are beautiful deities. But how do people know how to see

the deity. Their glance upon or anyone, who sees the beautiful form of the

deity who is presiding in a particular temple, gets spiritual benefit. Lord

Krishna explains that "as you approach Me, as you surrender to Me I reveal

Myself to you accordingly". So we can only appreciate the form of the Lord to

the degree the Lord reveals Himself to us. We cannot see Lord properly in His

true form with material eyes. Sri Brahma Samhita explains that only when the

eyes are anointed with the salve of love, does Krishna reveal Himself as He is.

For beginners, it is not easy to reach such a level of concentration, but there

is a way for us, Baba explained in chapter 18 & 19 of Sri Sai Satcharitra,

"Meditate always on My Formless Nature, which is knowledge incarnate,

consciousness and bliss. If you cannot do this, meditate on My form from top to

toe, as you see here night and day. As you go on doing this, your Vrittis will

be single-pointed, and the distinction between the Dhyata (meditator), Dhyana

(act of meditation), Dhyeya (thing meditated upon) will be lost, and the

meditator will be one with the consciousness and be merged in the Brahma."

Unless we are very very advanced, practically on the state of purified soul, we

cannot truly experience the Mercy that Baba is trying to give us.

Therefore it is the compassion, the concern, the devotional qualities of Bhaktas

that actually gives us the Mercy of the deities and through their devotion to

the deities they give us the understanding of how to approach the deities. In

India there are 1000s and 1000s of temples. Each one has deities. And

practically all of these temple people come – sometimes 10’s and 1000’s and

even 100,000s a day. They see the deity, they bow down, give some money, and

get Puja offered and then take little udhi and prasadam and they go home. And

they consider themselves to have become purified and become pious.

In many places of Sri Sai Satcharitra, Baba stressed that even a moment’s

association with a sadhu is so valuable that it can open door to liberation in

our hearts. After wandering through material universes, through so many

millions of species of life, one finally becomes ready blessed by the Mercy of

the Lord, and gets the association of a devotee. And Sadguru Sainath Maharaj

plants the seed of devotion within our hearts. So when devotees come to the

Mandir the Lord is living in, they are completely dependent on nice association

to make spiritual advancement. Therefore we should consider every visitor of the

Mandir as Baba’s own personal associate. And every guest who comes to the Mandir

as Baba’s own personally invited friend.

And it is a fact. No one comes to Sai Mandirs by accident. Baba said, "Those,

who are fortunate and whose demerits have vanished, take to My worship" in

chapter 13 of Satcharitra. Baba is in everyone’s heart and it is Baba who is

directing the wanderings of every living entity and it is Baba who is sending

people to come. Understand that most of them have wandered for millions and

millions of birth and somehow or other by the inconceivable Mercy of the Lord

they are being directed to the temple so that the seed of bhakti can be

planted, and watered in their hearts. And it is the representative of Guru, it

is the devotees of the temple that must plant that seed and honor Baba’s guest

with great attention. And this is how our Sai movement will grow.

We’re distributing so many tens and thousands of books all over the world and we

must continue doing so. But when people take interest in the message and decide

‘let me go to Sai Mandir’, ‘their philosophy makes sense’, ‘this is changing my

life’, ‘I want to do it’, ‘I want to learn how’, ‘I need people to show me to

live by these holy messages’ and when Baba sees that interest, He sends them to

the Mandir. And unless we’re prepared to welcome, to greet them, and teach them

how to live by these Sai messages, they will never make much spiritual

advancement. Our Mandirs, it is very important that we learn the science of

properly giving and receiving the association of devotees. Actually every guest

that comes is Baba’s specially invited guest. And it is our duty to give them

every possible opportunity to make spiritual advancement. It is the first

priority.

Why are we spending so much money building big and beautiful Mandirs all over

the world. It is to attract people to come. It is not just to attract them to

come, but also to meet devotees and learn how to surrender to Baba. If after

spending crores of rupees to build Mandirs, and when people come and we don’t

have time to teach them how to be Sai devotees, because we need to spend

something, or better we don’t even have any temples.

We must work to set an example that all Sai guests must enjoy divine bliss and

eternal peace at the Feet of Baba. And this is a fact. But BEST, we have our

powerful Sai Mandirs and we have beautiful devotees to say SAI RAM! Welcome

wholeheartedly, make them chanting Sai Nama Japa and be happy.

Ever yours

at the Feet of the Master

N. Sivanandam

 

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