Sai Vichaar for Thursday , September 29, 2005

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Sai Vichaar

www.saibaba.org

Thursday , September 29, 2005 :: Volume 9, Issue 20

(In its eighth year of publication.)

Sai Vichaar is a Weekly 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 WEEK

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

DEVOTEES SAY

PRAYER CLUB

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

SAI ACTIVITIES

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD

FEATURE OF THE WEEK: Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram

Truth is the power and the manifestation. Truth is eternal and indestructible.

Truth is the most beautiful and the brightest. Truth is silent because it does

not need a voice. Truth remains at the core of the conscience, the abode of

Sadguru. Every spiritual aspirant has to confront the entity of Truth, the

biggest obstacle. Conquering falsehood, most tiring of all the battles, is the

beginning of Baba's expanse. It becomes at one point the task of utmost

relevance, to distinguish Truth from the set of other operable facts, the

premise under which everyday dealings are carried out, material and even

spiritual! Stories are plentiful in Sadguru Sainath's abode where Baba whipped

up the conscience of those that he wanted to bless. Those who seek Him could

never resist the piercing eyes of the compassionate father; the eyes that know

the past, present, and the future. The eyes not that of the punishing

policeman, but of the benevolent caretaker longing to lead one from the

convenient facts to everlasting contentment, Truth! How could one trying to

realize that Baba is the indweller of all beings even attempt to either lie to

the self or to others? Baba never lied to anyone. He always spoke of parables;

some of them were literally true while some were figurative. They were the

individualized instructions that Baba provided to those who deserve it and none

else.

Lt. Col. M.B. Nimbalkar in his book "Shri Sai Baba's Teachings and Philosophy"

wrote as follows: "Sai Baba was always practical and realistic in his

teachings. He never told his devotees to lie and asked them always to speak

truth. The devotees knew that Sai Baba was antharjnaani (knower of the secrets

of every being) and he would certainly catch them if they told a lie. Hence hey

dared not speak untruth in his presence. Hemadpanth in his original Marathi Shri

Sai Satcharitha rightly says: Untruth does not work before Sai and Sai cannot be

procured with untruth. Untruth means downfall. Untruth in the end takes you to

hell" Let us on this beautiful Thursday remind ourselves of that benevolent

caretaker longing to lead us from the convenient facts to everlasting

contentment, Truth!

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Baba's miracles in my life

It was the first day of Navratra, associated with the festival - Dussera. I was

giving a finishing touch to the picture of Goddess Shri Durga drawn by me on

the floor by using color powders at the entrance door. Just then a middle-aged

person came, wearing typical Maharashtrian attire - (white Dhoti, Kurta and a

cap). A cloth bag was hung from his shoulder. He looked at the picture,

appreciated and said, although you have drawn the picture of Goddess Durga but

you are a firm believer of Saibaba. Am I right, he asked me? I said yes and

than he asked, whether he could get a cup of tea. Only that day, I removed the

empty gas cylinder and the extra cylinder was in the office, which I wanted to

bring after finishing my morning routines. I had no other means for cooking. I

told him about that and asked him, whether he would like to have a glass of

cold milk, kept in the fridge. He said, okay that would do and asked me whether

he could come in. I let him in. I made him sit in my living room and gave him a

glass of milk and some fruits. He had the milk and ate one banana. I saw you

many times in Shirdi. You are a regular visitor, he said. That amused me and I

became suspicious. How could he recognize me from the huge crowd gathered there

every day? Perhaps a guess I thought and just nodded. Than he asked for money

and when I asked how much, he said just enough to feed 500 poor people in

Shirdi. So this is what he wanted I thought. Being the first day of Navratra, I

did not want to displease anyone and lose my temper. Look, I do not have that

much money and at the most could offer Rupees 101, if willing please accept, I

told him.

Okay give me that he said. When I placed Rs.101 on his hand, he held it for

sometime, closed his eyes, murmured something and returned that to me saying,

You must buy a Maharashtra State Lottery Diwali ticket. There used to be a

Diwali Bumper draw - ticket costing Rs.100. Diwali comes 20 days after Dussera.

He further said, you had a chance meeting with Baba at Shirdi, but you missed

the opportunity to take His blessings. (I remembered the old man at the Station

who offered his ticket). Do not worry, you have one more chance. He would come

again, but this time do not let Him go like that. Take His blessings. But how

would I recognize Him, I asked? Don't worry, this time you would recognize Him.

After saying that, he left. In Raipur, Maharashtra State Lottery tickets were

not available so I could not purchase the Ticket. Thinking of sending that

money to my mother at Nagpur I kept it in the cupboard and totally forgot about

it. I remembered it only when I was at Nagpur during Diwali and while reading

the local newspaper, saw the results of that lottery. I told my mother about

that incident. You missed the golden chance but be careful next time, she said.

Since then, I have been waiting for the day of my meeting with Saibaba. I don't

want anything except His blessings. What could be more precious to me in my

life than that?

(Contributed by Vijaya Nair)

DEVOTEES SAY:

VasanthiBaba, today my husband has started on his new job, which he got with

your grace. You know the problem with him, please help him to perform well,

control his behavior and hold on to this job Baba! Please keep us in your mercy

Baba.

VinoRecently I had a dream that there was a lot of Vibuthi flowing out of a

packet, and I was so overwhelmed seeing this. And in my dream, I took the

Vibuthi and sprinkled it all over the house. I am not sure why I had such a

dream. Should I foresee this as a good sign? Soon after my career took a plunge

but with Sai's grace I now have a new job. But I am worried that the offer

letter has not yet been sent. I hope Sai will be kind enough to see me through

all of this.

R SinghFrom 1997-2000 I worked in Indonesia. For my daughter's schooling, we

prayed Baba to provide us a job in Singapore. As always Baba listened to us and

we got a better job with good salary. I was supposed to send one-month salary to

Shirdi Sai Sansthan. But I decided to use some of the money to visit Shirdi,

India and rest Rupees 26,000 I sent to Sai Sansthan. Net effect was within two

years the situations developed in such a way, I was unable to continue my job.

I resigned and returned to India. I could not get any good job immediately.

Finally, after suffering for two years and spending most of the savings we had,

I got job in a good private company. However, the salary is not high and my

family was used to spend more money in the 5-year period I was in abroad. Baba

I realized my mistake now. Please accept my apologies. Please be with us

always. Help us to pray you every moment. I promise to read Sai Satcharitra

daily from now on wards.

JanakiSai please help me to get driver's license before 15th October 2005 (

Punyathithi). Sai I will write every Thursday one experience, which I had

experienced. Sai please give me your blessings. Sai please give me strength and

patience to serve you Deva.

Sai devoteeMy Sadguru Shri Sainath Maharaj, thank you for all the help you

showered on me and my family. I am a devotee of Sai Baba since more than fifty

years. Whenever I have prayed to him, He has always showered his blessings on

me and my family. I want to share a recent experience with Saibaba's grace. It

is impossible to get two months vacation from job in America. But Sadguru Shri

Sainath can make everything possible. It is miracle. Hey Sai I have no words to

say for your miracles. I got sanctioned for two month leave at the time when it

is difficult to get the job. I got this job because of your krupa only. I

promised Baba if I get my leave sanctioned I will write my experience in Sai

Vichaar.

Sai devoteeI am a devotee of Sai since 2000. I have a marble Idol of Sai Maharaj

and have been reading Sai Satcharita daily since then. As I complete the reading

daily, I offer naivaidya to Sai physically (I keep a little of the sweet in the

mouth of the Idol) believing that He will eat it. Yesterday 26th September

happened to be my son’s birthday. I made sweet and offered the same way to Sai

Maharaj in the evening. Daily before going to bed, I thank Him for what all

happened during the day and invoke His Blessings for the next day. When I saw

him closely I saw his mouth full of ants. Though I have been offering sweets, I

have never seen ants. I was terribly disturbed and immediately gave him a cold

water bath and changed His shawl. I felt the pain that the ants bit His mouth.

But my son comforted me saying that Sai has come in the form of ants and eaten

the sweet. Can any one please enlighten me on this significance.

PRAYER CLUB:

SrikalaSai, please help my husband to get the job. Please Baba show your mercy

on us. Please Baba bless us to get the job.

NishaI lost my father at the age of 15, that is when I studying for SSLC. By

Sai's grace, I could get a job. Now my marriage is fixed. He is also a staunch

devotee of Sai. I invite Sai first to my marriage. Finance is my problem. I do

not know Sai who is going to help me financially for my marriage. They have not

asked any dowry, or anything, still its difficult for us to manage. Sai please

be with us and bless us.

M SantoshI am suffering from bad health and financial problems. This is going

from last two years. I don't know what to do. I am away from my parents.

Sometimes I do not feel bad as friends will be around but these days I am

really feeling alone.

HiralBaba please heal my father's leg. Solve all our problems. Make my mother

and father get good jobs. Make me succeed in all my courses with a high GPA.

Saibaba please guide us well and be with us always.

RohiniBless me, bless my sisters to get them married this year only. Please do

not make me unhappy any more. Please be with me all the time, giving me

courage.

RanjitI beg you Gurudev to solve my financial problem and pay off our debts.

Baba please change my husband that he will not cheat on me, you know my Deva

what I mean.

UshaI made a blunder a couple of years back. I am still paying for it. My heart

beats fast, I wish, it stops without seeing anymore worse. Sai please relieve

me from this situation. Being newly wed, with all happiness in world, whenever

I encounter this situation, I am shattered. No one to share except you. Why am

I doing this mistake repeatedly? Baba, please guide me, correct me before

anybody does it.

SrinivasSri Sainath Sadguru Maharaj Ki Jai! Oh Sai! You have always helped me

and heard my prayers. Oh Lord! me and my wife started a new business recently.

My wife is full-time and I am presently part-time. I wanted to go in as

full-time by August 15th, 2006. For this to hapen, your blessings are

indispensable for us to help a lot of families and we become financially

independent. Without Your divine blessings, nothing is posible. Oh Sai

Mahadeva, please see that we do our business very well, earn awards, scale

heights and become RVP's by August, 2006. Give us that power, energy, focus,

attitude and of course your blessings. See that we settle in this business in

our career and earn wealth, health, happiness and prosperity for our family.

Your blessings are very important for our daughter and my dad. Please see that

You are always in our hearts. We need your blessings.

Sai devoteeOh kind Sai please let my new friend be in my life forever. You know

he makes me so happy and brings joy to me. Let him care for me the same way I

care for him. Oh Sri Sai continue to shower us with your blessings.

Sai devoteeWe pray whole-heartedly to the lotus feet of Sai. Sai, you helped us

in resolving lot of issues. You were there for us in each any every aspect of

our life, which made our life easier. Sai, you know very well that we are

trying to have a baby but left in vain. You know what is good and bad for us.

But, still we are putting all our thoughts in words and praying to fulfill our

desire and bless with a baby. Sai kindly accept our koti pranams at your lotus

feet. Sainath maharaj ki jai!

Sai devoteeOh Sai! our Kotti Pranams to You and please accept our prayers. My

wife had completed about four years of service in a firm here and anxiously

waiting for the past three months to file for her permanent immigration through

them. They keep postponing it for the one reason or the other and now I have

started reading one chapter a day of Sai Satcharita and performing kshira

abhishekam on Thursdays to our beloved Lord Sadguru Shirdi Sainath. I request

all Sai devotees to pray for us in this regard.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

ArathiOnce one of my dearest friend's father had expired and I could not talk to

my friend and could not console by being near him. I prayed to Sai and with his

permission, I thought to send Sai Satcharitha book and Baba's photo and I went

to Saibaba temple, did the pooja, took the akshinthalu, flowers, and udhi, and

kept that in the book. I went to mail the book, first I thought to send it by

courier but they said there was no courier facility to that village and told to

mail it by postal service. I want that book to reach them by Thursday so I

enquired and went to post office that evening just to see that counter was

closed that was on Saturday. I went on Monday at 8:00 am and asked them they

said the counter would open only at 10:00 am and there was a possibility of

employees going on strike the very next day. I prayed to Baba and again at 11

am I went to post office and sent out the parcel. I was just praying to Baba

that the post reaches them by Thursday and in my mind I was also thinking that

maybe Baba will cancel the strike. To my surprise on next day I came to know

that the strike was canceled. I was surprised, happy and what else I could do

except only bow to the Jagadguru Sai for his miracle. You may think such things

might happen occasionally but when they happen when we need them only we can see

the power of God. When I later enquired I heard that the parcel reached my

friend in time and it consoled them a lot. Baba made me play a role just to

strengthen my faith in Him. Thank you Baba. Please shower on us your blessings

forever.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"Why should you worry about the future? You don't even know the present

properly. Take care of the present and the future will take care of

itself".-Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. How are we to deal with pests like rats, cockroaches and ants?

A. by Lata Shekhar

Sai Satcharitha clearly spells out that one should not drive away even an ant or

a fly with disdain. How are we to deal with pests like rats, cockroaches and

ants? I personally came into our beloved Sai's fold just over two years ago but

I have realized and recognized His helping hand for a very long time, even when

I consciously did not call on Him. I have read the Sai Satcharitha a few times

and have been gradually aware of how my beautiful Baba has transformed my way

of thinking. I admit I have personally swatted many flies and baited many

cockroaches in the past as I only regarded them as pests, but the thought no

longer appeals to me. I open the door to let the flies out and take the cockies

out into the garden. The fact that sweet Sai dwells in every life form is what I

try to remember. On the practical side trying to keep the house clean, keeping

food covered at all times and making sure food scraps are not lying around can

help keep these creatures away, as more often than not food is what they are

looking for.

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Sri Shirdi Sai Punyathithi (87th) celebrations at Shirdi Sai Temple, Chicago,

ILShri Sai Baba Punyatithi (Mahasamadhi ) will be celebrated for three days

from Oct 11th to Oct 13th at Chicago Shirdi Sai Temple. Vijayadashmi day in

1918 was also an auspicious day when Sri Sai Baba took Mahasamadhi in Shirdi

and ever since this day has been celebrated in Shirdi in honor and

rememberance. For program details please visit www.saibaba.us or call

847-931-4058. Other Upcoming Events: Monthly (second sunday of every month)

Pooja, Sunday October 9th and Navarathri Celebrations, Monday October 3rd

through Wednesday October 12th.

Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, MinnesotaRegular Sai activities in Minneapolis,

St.Paul area are being conducted at Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, 725 Lake St

NE, Apt #139 Hopkins MN. For details, please contact hamaresai , or

call Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center at 952-938-2983, and to read the monthly

newsletter Sai Sandesh, visit www.hamaresai.org.

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 Mahasamadhi and Dassera commemorations in Bay area, CaliforniaShirdi

Sai parivaar invites all to join us for Shirdi Sai Mahasamadhi and Dassera

commemorations on October 16th (Sunday) 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Presidential

Ballroom, Sunnyvale community center, 550 E Remington Drive, Sunnyvale, CA

94087. For details please visit www.shirdisaiparivaar.org or send email to

saibandhu .

Shirdi Sai Satsang, Ontario, CanadaShirdi Sai Baba Sansthan of Canada invites

all to join us for Satsang every Thursday 6:30PM at 147 Winston Castle Dr.

Markham, Ont. L6C 2N4. For details on other activities and services please call

Shammi Chopra at 416-402-8089 or email us saileela99 .

Shirdi Sai Satsang in Vancouver, BC, CanadaShirdi Sai parivar in Vancouver

invites you for bhajans, every Thursday (6.30pm - 7.30 pm) at 8571,118A Street,

Delta,V4C 6L2.For further details contact Ritu (604)592 4182 or email at

sai_ish (AT) hotmail (DOT) com

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar is immensely happy to publish details about growing Sai activities

all over the world. Please write to maildrop (AT) saibaba (DOT) org if you want to know

about Sai activities or interested in initiating Sai activities in your area.

The "Question of the week" for the week is, Q. What is the significance of

Sankalp?

Humbly Yours,The Editor

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>From and Editor:

Shirdi Sai Baba Web Site

Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha

(A not for Profit Organization)

Mail:

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