Sai Inspires - 8th January 2006

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Dear Reader,

 

Loving Sairam from the Heart2Heart Team.

Prashanti Bulletin is updated till, 7th January 2006.

 

Swami today tells us about the most desirable thing in the whole world... 'Peace'.

 

Scroll down to read our Weekend Special on "How Does God’s Insurance Office Work?".

Have You read the new issue of Heart2Heart? To read it now go here

 

Sai Inspires - 8th January 2006

 

Self-imposed discipline is conducive to real Shanti – peace of mind, poise,

equanimity and the stable equilibrium of the mind. Peace of mind is the most

desirable thing in the whole world. It gives us physical and psychical

euphoria. In order to achieve this peace, an aspirant must develop a thirst

for spiritual wisdom. He must acquire the qualities of love, sympathy and

compassion, and do selfless service to others. Shanti (peace) should not be

regarded as a part-time virtue to be cultivated only during meditation. It is

a constant state of inner tranquillity. It should become habitual and

instinctive.

- Summer Showers, 1979, Ch. 17.

Where there is Love, there is Peace. - Baba

 

 

How Does God’s Insurance Office Work?

 

In the Gita, the Lord says that from time to time when righteousness is on the

decline He incarnates. Swami has added that He has come to save scriptural

knowledge and to protect devotees of the Lord. This raises the question: “Who

exactly is a devotee of the Lord?” Operationally, any one who has devotion for

the Lord might be described as a devotee. However, as we all know, there are

all kinds of devotees; in fact, five thousand years ago, Krishna identified

four major categories. They are 1) those who come to the Lord because they want

their personal problems solved, 2) those who want the Lord to grant them wealth

and prosperity, 3) those who would like the Lord to guide them in acquiring

Wisdom, and finally 4) those who want nothing whatsoever and are content to

enjoy Bliss immersed in God.

 

This was the classification given five thousand years ago and it still holds.

The question now is: Which of these categories of devotees is eligible for

protection? This in turn raises another question as to what exactly we mean by

protection. But meanwhile, it is useful for us to note that Lord Krishna has

said that He relates to devotees the very same way they relate to Him. Swami

has amplified this with the remark that to a child He is a child; to a man He

is a man, and so on. In other words, Swami is to us, what we think Him to be.

 

What has all this got to do with God’s protection? We are coming to that. Let us

start with the question, whom does God protect? He certainly responds to prayers

and offers His protection in some measure, but only to the extent we are

eligible. Devotees often forget this aspect of eligibility and imagine God to

be something like a slot machine. We pray and God has to respond – that is the

way people think God should operate. Is that correct? Let us take the slot

machine. When we insert a coin into a slot machine and press the button, the

machine delivers a chocolate bar or whatever. But when the stock of the goodies

is over, even if one inserts a coin, one would get nothing. The same is true of

God’s Grace. When one has limited credit and that credit runs out, then prayers

will not provide the protection one prays for. So it boils down to how to build

up a good credit.

 

Lord Krishna and Swami have made one thing very clear. God’s insurance office is

open 24/7 and is accessible in all parts of the world from the North Pole to the

South Pole. But if one wants comprehensive coverage, and God does have that

plan, then one has to make proper payment of premium. And what exactly is the

premium? Swami has indicated that. Basically, it consists of two words:

Aushadam and Pathyam. Aushadam means medicine and Pathyam means diet

restrictions. Swami says that when one goes to a doctor with an illness like

stomach upset, for example, the doctor prescribes medicines and also diet

restrictions; the same is true of the Divine Doctor, says Swami.

 

What exactly does Swami mean by these two words? Swami has explained that also.

He says that the medicine is the constant chanting of the Name. OK, but what

about the Pathyam or so-called diet restrictions? Swami says the Pathyam is

TOTAL obedience of Swami’s commands.

 

We would now like to make some comments about the latter. From time to time, we

get reports that Sai devotees in some place or the other, are actively playing

host to a person, sometimes male and sometimes female, who claims that Swami

has sent him or her, creates vibhuti or whatever, and ends up collecting money,

of course, for some cause authorised by Swami – that is what the self-appointed

agent says. This sort of thing seems to happen in all parts of the world the

East to the West.

 

Times without number, Swami has declared openly in so many Discourses that He

has no middlemen. Times without number, Sanathana Sarathi has published

warnings about specific persons going round claiming to act for and on behalf

of Swami. The Organisation too has sent circulars asking Centres and Office

Bearers to stay clear of such self-appointed “messengers”. And yet, people seem

to be drawn to such “messengers”. Not only that, devotees invite them to Sai

Centres, make them sit on Swami’s Chair and even offer Aarathi to them.

 

Jesus once said, “Why call ye me Lord, when thou does’t not follow what I say?”

One can similarly ask: What is the meaning of we calling Swami God and all

that, when we are bent on ignoring His emphatic declaration that He has no

middle persons?

 

If this were an isolated phenomenon, we would not write about it. But we are

constantly getting reports about such people from all over. That such people

exist should not surprise us; the world is full of who would like to take

advantage of the gullible. But what we find astonishing is that people who

claim to be devotees of Swami insist on violating His command.

 

People are free to follow whom they want, but they should be aware of the

consequences. In the Gita, Krishna makes it very clear that those who follow

the manes go to the manes; those who follow the deities, go the deities; but

those who follow Him, go only to Him. Could anything be clearer? Think about

it!

 

 

 

With Love and Regards,

"Heart2Heart"

RadioSai e-Journal Team,

In Sai Service.

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