Sai Vichaar for Thursday , March 23, 2006

[Guest guest]

newsletter distributed every Thursday and is devoted to the life, philosophy and

teachings of Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi. Feel free to forward this newsletter to

your interested associates in its original form. IN THIS ISSUE:FEATURE OF THE

WEEKCONTRIBUTED ARTICLEDEVOTEES SAYPRAYER CLUBEXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEESQUOTATION OF

THE WEEKQUESTION OF THE WEEKSAI ACTIVITIESFROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD FEATURE OF

THE WEEK: Stones and

DiamondsTo be able to visit the Holy Shrine in Mecca is a matter of great

significance to the followers of Islam. Even if done once in a lifetime,

Muslims revere the occasion as the most blissful moment of their entire life.

Those who successfully complete this pilgrimage to Haj are respectfully

addressed as Haji and they command a high social status. Sidik Falke from

Kalyan, Maharashtra, India, was one such blessed follower of Islam who visited

Mecca and Madina and came to be known as "Haji" Sidik Falke. In his quest for

spiritual fulfillment, Haji came to Shirdi to meet Baba. Shri Hemadpanth

narrates Haji's visit to Shirdi and how he was treated by Baba (Shri Sai

Satcharitha Ch. XI, English version by Shri NV Gunaji). How could a spiritually

inclined person, Haji, a Saadhaka in his own right, be ignored at Baba's court?

Why did the merciful fakir ignore this apparently pious man? Baba told Shama,

"You are too young to

understand this. If Allah does not allow, what can I do?" After giving Haji, the

necessary lessons in humility, Baba threw away His kolamba (mudpot), rushed

towards Haji and said, "Why do you brag and fancy yourself great and pose

yourself as an old Haji? Do you read Koran like this? You are proud of your

pilgrimage to Mecca, but you do not know me". His ego completely annihilated,

blessed Haji was enlisted in Baba's court.Even great men fail due to this

"giving in" to the myth of ego. Guru's grace will be on those that can

successfully isolate the "self" component and shatter the walls. Once Guru's

grace is obtained, it is the spiritual responsibility of the seeker to sustain

Guru's grace. Intense practice is necessary to ward off the creeping ego.

Experiences at the end of any spiritual pursuit should if any, be limited to

the satisfaction that the ego is kept away in the blissful presence of the

divine, for even a little slip here awakens the

pride. Diamonds are the ones that glow, being hollow of any obstructions to the

divine light.CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Where are You My Lord? Where are You?I have

searched for You In temples and ashrams In masjids and minars But, I failed to

feel You. I have searched for You In churches and chapels In gurudwaras and

gopurams But, I failed to absorb You. I have searched for You In discourses and

bhajans In meditations and murthis But, I failed to invoke You. I have searched

for You In mountains and valleys In forests and caves But, I failed to see You.

I have searched for You in Rivers and rivulets In brooks and lakes But, I failed

to trace You. I have searched for You In flowers and fragrances In the universe

and ether But, I failed to know

You. I have searched for You In swamis and sadhus In gurus and samadhis But, I

failed to get You.' I have searched for You In japa and tapa In fasting and

reciting But, I failed to hold on to You. I have searched for You In retreats

and resolutions In resorts and rationalization But, I failed to meet You. I

have searched for You Everywhere day and night It is now beyond my imagination

Reveal Yourself Oh my Lord! Ah! You are here my Lord, within Me! Just waiting

for me to open up to You Yes, You will not reveal to half-hearted efforts

Unless I submit myself by thought, word and actionMy Lord! You are within me

But, fool am I that I searched for you outside Without giving up what I am

holding on And living up to your expectations. Due to my ignorance and

arrogance I failed to enjoy Your love

for me so far You are just waiting for my correct moves To take me into Your

lap. Thank You My Lord! for the transformation Now, I can see You clearly In

every beam of Sun-rays In every moon-lit night In every flower In every smile

In everything animate and inanimate In fact, You Are and nothing else. Thank

You My Lord for Your Blessings and Love.(Contributed by Paritala

Gopikrishna)DEVOTEES SAY: AnitaThanks a lot Saibaba for showering your

blessings on me. My contract was getting ended in March. I sincerely prayed to

Saibaba that my contract should be extended another 1 month so that I look for

another job in 1-month period. My Baba's grace my contracted was extended one

more month. Baba, please help me to find a permanent job as early as possible.

I pray to all sai devotees to have faith in

Baba.A devoteeI have been a Sai devotee for the past 7 years after my marriage.

I am very grateful to my mother in law for giving me the Sai Satcharitha. I was

unable to attend the Guru Poornima celebrations in our area. I was feeling very

bad about it and kept thinking that I would definitely attend the Ramanavami

celebrations in April. We had bought tickets to visit my brother-in-law between

April 6 and April 10. But we got our citizenship interview letter for April 7.

So we were very disappointed and we postponed our trip to next weekend. The

next day, I got a mail from the Sai group that the Ramanavami celebrations are

on April 8th. I was very happy that Sai had postponed our trip so that we could

attend the function. I thank you sincerely and I have no words to describe what

you have given me. Please bless my daughter and please always be with us.PunamI

want to first thank Sai Baba

and then this website, which gives us a provision to Pray and to Share our

Experiences. It also gives knowledge and a great feeling with more faith in

Baba's feet. Every human being has to pass with some bad and good times. This

site is useful in both times. In Sai Satcharitha, it is mentioned and then

devotees prayed through Baba's great bhakta like Shama, Mahalsapati. This

magazine is just like a great bhakt of Sai Baba by which you can pray to Baba,

Thanks to Baba .I am a regular reader of this site and magazine and every time

I pray, I read I feel more faith and more encouragement towards Baba bhakti.

Thanks a lot.PRAYER CLUB: SwapnaSai, Please help Hema with her baby and

pregnancy.KamathBaba I pray from the depth of my heart baba...baba be with my

husband during his interview and always with us and help him in getting this

job. I also request all Sai bandus to pray for us.RamanathanAtul and Swathi are

having problem with their speech and hearing. You know how much troubles they

are undergoing, please help them in their speech and hearing as only Your

blessings can help them speak and hear well.Sai devoteeDear Sai devotees,

please pray for our son to concentrate better and become responsible in his

studies. Pray for our family.SampaBaba please take care of my parents and in

laws and please be with my mother-in law during her surgery.SoundaryaBaba

please shower your blessing on my brother help him to be a brave person and

help him in getting married and settled soon.NeelimaPlease help my husband to

extend his job in the same company.RajaniPlease take care

of my niece during her exams and see to that she writes well and get very good

marks and pass with excellence. Please be with her always.NandakumarI am

jobless for the past one year. I request everybody to pray me to get a job in

the SAP as a consultant.SupriyaMy wish is that you must cure my daughter's

eyes, as you are my only God. She is taking medicine and we all wish that you

should bless her with improvement in her eyesight.EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

ShiriI would like to relate an experience that happened to me last week. My

mother had severe back and neck pain. As I live away from my mother, I prayed

to Baba to help reduce my mother's pain and I applied udi to my neck praying to

Baba to reduce my mother's pain as if I am doing it to my mother. I prayed to

Baba that I would write my

experience as soon as my mother's pain reduces. The next day I called my mom and

she told me that she is feeling better, but still has little pain and this week

she is feeling completely better. I am so happy that her pain reduced and by

Baba's grace she is feeling good. Thank you Baba for protecting my family. Baba

help us and protect us always. Thank you Baba for

everything.AchutaramaiahRecently my wife and me made a trip to Shirdi. Since

there was a rush, I used my Ex-service card to get a quick entry. We got the

entry fast but were pushed aside in a hurry because the arathi time at 12:00 pm

was approaching. My garland was accepted fast and no flowers were given. We just

touched the Samadhi and we were bundled out quickly. My wife was in tears and

appealed to Baba to help us to see Him again. So we went in the afternoon at

4:00 pm and went by the normal route. We saw Him soon from the left side. I

asked the priest to give me

a flower at least, he recognized me and gave a full garland in my hand! I was

overjoyed. But my wife again appealed to Baba to let us visit Him again. And

lo! as soon as we came out, we were asked to join a big party heading to the

mandir directly through special pass. This time my wife went before me, saw

Baba and had full darshan. Tears rolled down her face and she saw Him again and

again to her full satisfaction- even the guards allowed her to stand for full

five minutes while they jostled the other crowd. We had a great day seeing Him

three times. We thanked Him again and again. Soon it was evening arathi time

and we sat in the opposite garden and listened to the arathi songs with awe and

sang the arathi songs along with the multitudes in choked voices. From the

garden, one can hear and see Him on TV and also see Him through the window

right across. I am sure devotees may note this vantage point where one can

hear, see Him on TV and also see BABA with the priest garlanding. So I want to

thank Baba again and again and my wife was very glad to see Him in full divine

glow. Yes we feel in our hearts that the day was an unusual one to us to be

invited by Baba three times. Baba is living and listens to all poor and rich

alike. Please pray to Baba with faith.A Sai devoteeTo all Sai devotees, I

promised Sai Baba I would write my experiences if I get residency (MD) in

Internal Medicine in USA. I got residency in Internal Medicine this year even

though I had multiple attempts and low scores in USMLE exams. This is just

nothing but a miracle. I also would like to share other experiences, I had a

dream in the early hours in 2004 that Saibaba was blessing me and he was

telling me that all my desires will come true and he also mentioned that I am

going to build Sai mandir. Lot of changes took place after that dream. I came

to US, I got residency now, I got green card, I had persisted elevated liver

enzymes, all my other tests were negative, I went to Shirdi and prayed Saibaba

to bring my liver functions to normal, after my return I checked my liver

functions, it was normal. It is just a miracle. One day I was praying to Sai

Baba and asked Him to come to my house in any form, the same evening, I found

Baba's photo in my friend's car. We don't believe that we have hands and legs,

we know it is there so is Saibaba, He is there with us we believe something

which is unknown to us, Saibaba is not unknown, have faith and patience, He

gives everything that is good for us. Read Sai Satcharitha everyday. These are

just few miracles out of so many miracles in my life.QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"This fakir has compassion for all and will look after you very

lovingly"-SaibabaQUESTION OF THE WEEK: Q. What is the best way to worship

Saibaba of Shirdi? What should be our routine?A. by MadhumoortiThe best way of

worshipping Baba is to sincerely follow his teachings up to the last word.

Rather than having blind faith on Him just because thousands of people are

worshipping Him, it should be like what Rabindranath Tagore says, "Faith is the

song of a bird which feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark". The

bird knows for sure that the sun is going to arise and the darkness is going to

be dispelled. Out of that happiness, it sings. So too, we Sai devotees should

worship Him with fullest Shradda and just develop that unconditional Love

towards Him. Rest assured the benevolent Sai will take care of our needs. As

for the routine is concerned, we should start with chanting Sai, Sai and

praying to Baba right in the morning when we get up. Every action, emotion and

thought should be oblated to Him and

with His approval should be discharged. Anything we eat, we should offer the

same to Sai Baba, mentally, thank Him for what He has given us and then eat.

Similarly at the end of the day before going to bed, we should again remember

His name and thank Him for all that He gave us during the day. We can surely

feel His presence always with us and peace and happiness sets in our hearts.Q.

What is the best way to worship Saibaba of Shirdi? What should be our

routine?A. by Karthikeyan, AustraliaIn Sai Satcharitha. Chapter 22, Hemadpant

suggests an easy way of devotion and meditation as follows: "Let us try to see

Baba's light. Look at Baba's posture, how fine it is! He is sitting with His

legs folded, the right leg held across the left knee. The fingers of His left

hand are spread on the right-foot. On the right toe are spread His two

fingers-the index and middle ones. By this posture

Baba means to say, as it were-if you want to see My Light, be egoless and most

humble and meditate on My toe through the opening between the two

branches-index and middle fingers-and then you will be able to see My Light.

This is the easiest means of attaining devotion." And in chapter 11 he mentions

about worshipping formless and God with form: "There are two aspects of God or

Brahman: (1) the Unmanifested (Nirgun) and (2) the Manifested (Sagun). The

Nirgun is formless, while the Sagun is with form, though both denote the same

Brahman. Some prefer to worship the former, some the latter. As stated in the

Gita (chapter XII) the worship of the latter is easy and preferable. As man has

got a form (body, senses, etc.), it is natural and easy for him to worship the

God with form. Our love and devotion do not develop unless we worship Sagun

Brahman for a certain period, and as we advance; it leads us to the worship

(meditation) of Nirgun Brahman. So

let us start with Sagun worship. Image, altar, fire, light, sun, water, Brahman

are the seven objects of worship, but Sadguru is better than all these. Let us,

on this occasion, bring to our mind the form of Sai, Baba respected the feelings

of His devotees and allowed them to worship Him as they liked. Some waved

Chamara or fans before him, some played on musical instruments, some washed His

hands and Feet, some others applied scent and chandan, some gave betel nut with

leaves and other things, and some others offered naivaidya.The devotee may

choose any form or method he pleases and Hemadpant suggests evolving from a

form Deity (not Idol) worship to a formless (Brahman). Baba, Himself used to

serve non-vegetarian food and this should not prevent non-vegetarians

worshipping Baba. A person need not feel "guilty" about their habits, whether

food, drinks or moral values to take recourse at the feet of

Lord. Yet, Baba has mentioned in Chapter 22 "God lives in all beings and

creatures, whether they be serpents or scorpions. He is the Great Wirepuller of

the world, and all beings, serpents, scorpions etc., obey His command. Unless He

wills it, nobody can do any harm to others. The world is all dependent on Him,

and no one is independent. So we should take pity and love all creatures, leave

off adventurous fights and killings and be patient. The Lord (God) is the

Protector of all." Perhaps this is an indication of the need to evolve to a

state of being able to view all living beings as one creation of God.SAI

ACTIVITIES: Sri Ramanavami celebrations in Chicago, USASri Ramanavami and Urs

festival celebrations are the first major celebration of the year for Shirdi

Sai devotees. The tradition started in 1910 and continues each year. Shirdi Sai

temple, Chicago will be celebrating the event for three days starting from

Thursday April 6th to Saturday April 8th. The program comprises of Aartis, Maha

Abhishek, Homam, Palki procession, Satcharitra parayan, bhajans and much more.

For complete details please visit http://www.saibaba.us/index.html or call

847-931-4058.Sri Ramanavami-Urs celebrations, MinnesotaShirdi Saibaba Prayer

Center invites all to Sri Ramanavami-Urs celebrations on April 8, 2006 from

4:30 pm onwards at Geeta Ashram, Brooklyn Park, MN. The event includes Sai

abhishek, Sai aarathis, parayan, naam jap and bhajans, palki procession and

chandan utsav. Please visit www.hamaresai.org for more details.Sri Shirdi Sai

Baba Temple of Dallas/Fort Worth, TexasSri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of DFW

Metroplex is located at 2109 West Parker (Parker Plaza), Suite 212, Plano, TX

75023. For temple hours and activities please call the

temple office at 469-467-3388 or visit the website

www.shirdisaidallas.org.Shirdi Sai-Ramnavami celebrations in Bay Area,

CaliforniaWe welcome all of you with family, to join us for Shirdi

Sai-Ramnavami celebrations in Bay Area, California on April 8th (Saturday) in

Sunnyvale between 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Venue: Sanatan Dharma Kendra, 897 E

Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086, (Located in Reliance Technical Service complex).

For RSVP and Info contact: saibandhu or 408-564-6704Sai Satsang, New

Jersey, USAShirdi Sai Dham, Inc regularly conducts Sai bhajans followed by

Aarti and Parsad on every 1st Saturday of each month at Durga Mandir, Kendall

Park, New Jersey from 3 pm to 5 pm (Winter Hours). All are requested to kindly

come and receive Baba's blessings. For more information, please call us at

609-275-1334 or visit www.shirdisaidham.org or email us at

shirdisaidham (AT) hotmail (DOT) comShirdi Sai Satsang, Toronto, CanadaShirdi Saibaba

Sansthan invites all to join for satsangs every Thursday 7:00 pm at Sai

Dwarkamai, 147 Winston Castle Dr. Markham, Ontario, L6C 2N4, phone 416-402-8089

or email: saileela99 . To request a pooja for yourselves, your friends

and family for any occasion at your residence, please call. Devotees can

request udi or Holy water (Abhishek Jal) from the Holy bathing of Baba by

sending us an email or by phone.Shirdi Sai Mandir, Scarborough, CanadaThe

Shirdi Sai Mandir located at 2721 Markham Road, Scarborough, Ontario, M1X 1L5

(Intersection of Markham and Nashdene) is open Monday to Friday from 6:30 p.m

to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m to 8:30 p.m. Dhoop Aarti is

at 7:30 p.m. everyday. Bhajans are on Saturday from 5:00 p.m. onwards. For

other temple activities and information please call 647-444-4724

or send an email to info (AT) theshirdisaimandir (DOT) com.Sai activities in Vancouver,

CanadaShirdi Sai parivar in Vancouver invites you for satsang, every Thursday

(6.30-7.30pm). And Sai abhishek and satsang on first Sunday of every month

(11am-12.30pm), at 8571,118A St, Delta, BC, V4C 6L2.For further details contact

(604) 592 4182 or email sai_ish (AT) hotmail (DOT) com.Website on Saibaba of Shirdi in

TamilDevotees are requested to note the starting of a new website and

e-magazine on Saibaba in Tamil. Please visit www.srisaimarggam.org and write to

omsairam (AT) srisaimarggam (DOT) com for more details. Sai Vichaar hopes that this website

will serve Tamil speaking Sai devotees all over the world.FROM THE EDITORS

KEYBOARD: Devotees are requested to refer to Sai activities for information on

a new website on Baba in Tamil. Sri Ramanavami

is celebrated during the second week of April 2006. Please refer to Sai

Activities to know more about the celebrations. Please write to

maildrop (AT) saibaba (DOT) org if you would like to publish about Sai activities in your

area. Sai devotee Poonam suggests the following "Question of the week" for the

week, Q. What is the best way to worship Saibaba of Shirdi? What should be our

routine? If we are non-vegetarian, is it OK? Humbly Yours,The EditorABOUT THIS

EMAIL:This newsletter is not sent unsolicited. This newsletter is e-mailed to

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through our on-line page, 2. You have visited our web site and shown

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you,The webmaster From and Editor:Shirdi Sai Baba Web Site Shirdi Sai Baba

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