Sai Vichaar for Thursday , February 02, 2006

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Thursday , February 02, 2006 :: Volume 8, Issue 38

(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: God - a matter of experience

Saibaba's language was truly mystic for he talked back and forth between the

Absolute mode and the mode of surrendered servant or even bond slave of the

Lord. In the former mode, He made such statements as: "I am formless and

everywhere" and, "I look equally on all. Not a leaf moves except my grace". In

the latter mode of surrendered instrument of God, he declares:" Without God's

permission nothing can be made by me", and "Baba is but phaladata (giver of the

fruit or dispenser of the result). However, his message is clear both on fear

and hope that if one becomes God's or Saibaba's devotee the one will be under

his protective wing and need no fear. If then the devotee has patience, his

hopes will be realized and in due course, he will indeed be raised spiritually.

This blessing is not to be confused with worldly benefits such as material

prosperity, fame, power or even health, although these may in fact occur as

by-products. The promise is for the achievement of the Sufi goal of mystical

union with God, or the realization that one was never in truth separation from

God. Among many quotations in this vein of protection and guidance, Saibaba

said: "if you make me the sole object of your thoughts and aims, you will gain

paramartha - the supreme goal. Some visitors came to see Saibaba at first

merely out of curiosity to see a miracle-worker, and then gradually they

started coming to listen to what Saibaba was teaching. Nana Chandorkar, for

example, began listening to Saibaba this way, and eventually gained complete

confidence that Saibaba did indeed demonstrate the qualities of divinity.

Others however, such as Dasganu, although he had great respect for the Saint

and had been shown many phenomenal miracles, could never quite come to terms

with admitting Saibaba's divinity (when Baba was in flesh and blood). (

"Saibaba and the Sufi Tariquat' in "Unravelling The Enigma - Shirdi Saibaba in

the Light of Sufism" by Marianne Warren)

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Baba's method of Teaching

As for Baba's declaration about his Guru, Professor Narke heard Baba say, "Maja

Guru Brahman ahe", that is, My Guru is a Brahmin. Having said so much about his

Guru, professor Narke carefully noted that Baba did not say that he had any

sishya to continue his line. On the other hand, Sai Baba said, 'I would tremble

to come into the presence of my Guru.' There was no one prepared to serve Sai

Baba in that way at Shirdi. Once Sai Baba asked, it seems, 'Who dares to call

himself my disciple? Who can serve me adequately and satisfactorily?' But apart

from a disciple to continue the line, Baba helped in various ways and in various

degrees. He encouraged them, protected them, and gave them instructions

occasionally. Narke was studying Baba's methods of teaching and improving

devotees. Baba gave our moral tales and a few occasional directions. But these

were exceptional. But the traditional method of Baba was not oral. His

traditional method was first the negative portion; that is, the Guru did not

give to his chosen disciple any Guru mantra. Usually a Guru whispers a mantra

into the ear of the sishya, and he seems to be almost biting the ear when he is

whispering. So, Baba said, 'Me Kanala Dasnara Guru Navhe.' That is, 'I am not

the Guru that bites the ear. He did not regard japa and meditation as

sufficient for the sishya. These produce in the sadhaka Abhimana or Ahamkara.

Unless and until Ahamkara is completely wiped out the Guru is unable to pour

all his influence into the sishya. In Baba's school, the Guru does not teach.

He radiates or pours influence. That influence is poured in and absorbed in

full by the soul which has completely surrendered itself and blotted out the

self, but is obstructed by the exercise of intelligence by reliance on

self-exertion and by every species of self-consciousness and self-assertion.

Baba, therefore, would tell some devotees, 'Be by me and keep quiet and I will

do the rest,' that is, 'secretly or invisibly. One who was merely seeing him

and staying by him for a while got faith. Baba gave experiences to each

devotee, of his vast powers of looking into his heart, into the distance

regions of space and time, past or future and this infused faith. One need not

swallow a thing on trust. The solid benefit, temporal or spiritual reaped by

the devotee and his feeling that he is under the eye and power of Baba always,

wherever he may be and whatever he may do, gave him an ineradicable basis for

his further temporal and spiritual guidance. Baba's is the power that controls

this world's goods and our fate here and now, as well as our experience and

fate in the future, in this world and many unseen worlds. The professor

concludes that the duty of a devotee under Baba is only to keep himself fit for

the Guru's grace. That is, he should be chaste, pure, simple and virtuous and he

should look trustfully and sincerely to the beloved master to operate on him

secretly, and to raise him to various experiences, higher and higher in range,

until he is taken at last to the distance goal. 'But one step is enough for

me', is the proper attitude now, He need not take the trouble to decide

complicated metaphysical and philosophical problems about the ultimate destiny.

He is ill-prepared to solve them now. The guru will lift him and endow him with

higher powers, vaster knowledge and increasing realization of truth. And the

end is safe in the Guru's hands. These above conclusions, as the professor

says, are not from any single lecture or address by Baba, but are gathered from

the various hints, his dealings with many people and his occasional words.

(Contributed by Courtesy: Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swami)

DEVOTEES SAY:

SaipadmaOne day a shuttlecock hit my eye while my kid was playing. It swelled

and became red. It was very painful, itching and burning. A doctor gave an

ointment to apply because of which the condition became worse. I was scared and

prayed to Sai Baba to help. Again, we went to the same doctor, he said some

people develop irritation for that ointment and he asked me to stop. I washed

my eye and the irritation subsided a bit. But the eye was continuing to swell.

I went to another doctor who directed me to see eye specialist. I was really

worried about my eye sight now, I told Baba that I will post my experience if

my eyesight is normal and my eye problem will be cleared. After a long wait the

doctor tested my eye and said my eyesight is ok, and gave me medicines to reduce

swelling and pain. Within a week, my eye became normal. Thanks to Saibaba.

SantoshiniThank you very much for giving me such a good job. Thank you for

blessing me and giving me strength and courage in doing the work. Thank you

very much Baba.

SandhyaOm Sai Ram, many thanks to You for getting my sister married. I had

promised that if my husband passes his exam, I would share with Sai Vichaar.

Thanks for helping my husband in succeeding his exams. Please continue to

shower Your blessings on us and my parents and sisters.

PRAYER CLUB:

SubhaYou have showered your love upon me always. Baba, I am longing to make the

official trip along with my husband. Baba please help us to get a good

assignment and facilitate us to move together and accomplish our project well

and return together. Also, please take care of my parents and my kid, when I am

in UK.

VandanaBaba we want your presence at the time of my delivery. Baba I am very

much sure that this baby is your gift to us. You will bless us with a healthy

baby and a normal delivery.

SumaDear Sai, my niece is one and half year old and she is suffering from food

allergies. She has milk, egg, soy, wheat, peanut and tested allergic to lot of

other products. She immediately gets a skin rash and has not put any weight

since last one year. Sai, please heal her allergies and make her a healthy

girl. Please bless her with good health.

SumanaPlease see to it that I get a good job suitable to me. I am keeping

complete faith in You and resigning. Please help me out otherwise me and my

daughter will be helpless and be on the roads.

ChandrikaThere is nothing that you do not know. You know very well the problems

I am facing and my concerns. I want all my reports to be normal and do not want

to undergo any surgeries. Baba please help me.

MithunDear Saibaba, please bless me Baba, you know every thing, Baba with out

your blessings nothing can happen, Baba please find me a another job.

SureshBhagavan Sai Nath please cure my brother-in-law who is suffering from

cancer at the earliest and grant long married life to my dear sister.

SheelaDear Sai, last time I mentioned that my father has had a paralyzed stroke

and now we heard that there is a place in India where such ppl are cured. My

mother and father both are going down to India, please Sai take are of them and

please help my father recover soon, please also give my mother lots of strength

to go through this phase of life, as she is also not keeping good health and is

a diabetic patient. All Sai devotees please pray for their safe journey and

recovery.

RachnaDear Baba please help me in getting a job in good corporate sector. I am

hunting from last four montha and as far I have seen no results. Baba please

look at me, atleast give a glance and bless me a job in good corporate sector,

so that I can be independent and have a good career ahead. Baba please don't

check patience I really don't have that much of patience. Why is it always with

me, I have to beg and then also I don't get any results. I am becoming hopeless,

Baba You know everything, please help me and bless me with job.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Sai RudraBaba has been taking care of my family and me since many years. I have

seen many small things that Baba grants me here and there, but many a times I

think that it was just a coincidence or was bound to happen. But today Baba has

proved beyond doubt that he is watching my husband and me and ensuring our

welfare. My husband has been unlucky with his career. He was always a very

smart and intellectual person. He went to the best schools and colleges in

India and USA and had been very successful in his studies. He was a merit

student always. But the year he passed out of his Masters and was ready to get

into an employment, the IT industry crashed and he had to take up some short

time and low paying jobs in order to survive. This went on for almost two and

half years. He was almost losing hope of succeeding in life. But, August of

2005, Baba got him a very good project in IT industry to work on a latest

technology. We accepted the project on the condition that there was a person to

support my husband in all his technical doubts and be available to groom him.

This was the latest technology and my husband had no clue about it. We decided

to pay our tutor a big portion of our salary and go ahead with the project, but

once we relocated to the new place and joined the company, our tutor let us

down. He too did not have any idea about the project nor the technology and we

were terribly scared and disappointed. But, he continued to take money from us

without giving any support. But by Baba's grace, my husband somehow managed and

got through the project using other sources for about four months, for some

reason the project got scrapped and we were getting tensed if we would get

another project or not as it was Thanksgiving time and holidays season when the

IT industry would be very inactive.

continued......With Baba's grace, my husband found another project without any

delay. But this was even a bigger challenge. His project manager was very rude

and did not give time for my husband to even breath. He gave a lot of work to

my husband and was after him all the time. He followed my husband even if he

went to the rest room. My husband was going through hell, all the more because

he was still not technically sound. I prayed and pleaded Baba every day to make

sure my husband would succeed in his job. Within three weeks, my husband read

many books, got some guidance from the Internet etc, and completed all the

tasks his boss gave him and today his boss is very happy and sent him a long "

Appreciation Letter". Thanks Baba, You have proved that You are with us every

second of our lives, guiding and guarding us.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"A man comes into contact with a Sadguru only as a result of accumulation of

lots of good deeds in the past lives. One can try to seek God by going from

Guru to Guru but once the Sadguru comes to his life, he should end his search

and surrender to him because he can only give God realization to the

seeker".-Shri C.B. Satpathy

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. How are we to know that we have won Sai's grace?

A. by Sadashiv Kavthankar

When the merits and demerits of souls balance each other, they are born on earth

as human beings and are given a chance to workout their salvation. It is

therefore recommended to remember God (Guru is God) and chant His name always.

The kind and merciful Shri Saibaba (Sadguru) said many a times the following

sweet words in the masjid: - " he who loves me most, always sees me. The whole

world is desolate to him without me. He who tells no stories but mine; he

ceaselessly mediate upon me and always chants my name I shall repay his debt by

giving him salvation." If that is so and present in you, rest assure that you

have won Shri Sai's grace. When Hemadpant asked Sri Saibaba, "Baba do all the

people crowding around you are benefited?" Sri Sai answered that only few

flowers ripe into fruits, not all are benefited. My question is why is it so?

People crowded around Sri Sai Baba with different motives. There were those

with improper ones, who did not benefit. While those who worshiped Him

faithfully and wholeheartedly, mediated upon Him constantly with complete

surrender and had firm faith and patience, benefited. To quote an instance,

once Shri Sai Baba said:- " My treasury is full, and I can give anyone, what he

wants, but I have to see whether he is qualified to receive my gift. If you

listen to Me carefully, you will be certainly benefited, while sitting in this

masjid, I never speak any untruth".

Q. How are we to know that we have won Sai's grace?

A. by Ravin, Minnesota

In Baba's fold, those that are not blessed are the ones that Think they are not

blessed! Baba said, "No one can come to me on his or her own accord, its me who

brings them on various pretexts". He exhorts that it is because of Rinanubandha

that we are drawn to him and it is His business and in fact, His responsibility

to take proper and right care of us. Anyone in Baba's path should rest easy that

they belong to Baba whether they completely know it, feel it or not!

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USAShirdi Sai temple is open

daily from 8:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m (Winter hours). Daily program includes Kakad

Arathi at 8 a.m followed by Abhisek. Madhayana Arathi at 12 noon, Dhoop Arathi

at 6 p.m and Shej Arathi at 9 p.m. Archana, Homams, Sahasranama and sponsored

poojas continue in between the Arathis. To request a pooja for yourselves, your

friends and family, please call. Devotees can request water (Abhishek Jal) from

the Holy bathing of Baba by sending us an email or by phone. Temple is located

25 minutes drive west of Schaumburg on intersection of IL Route 47 and Plank

Road in Hampshire, IL. For more information please call 847-931-4058 or send

email to maildrop (AT) saibaba (DOT) org.

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 Satsang, Bay Area, CaliforniaShirdi Sai Parivaar invites all to join

us for Satsang every Thursday 7:30 pm at Odd Fellows Temple, 20589 Homestead

Road, Cupertino, CA 95014. For details please call 408-564-6704 or send email

to saibandhu or visit www.ShradhaSaburi.org.

Sai 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) com

Shirdi 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.

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.

Sai Satsang, SingaporeTo all Shirdi Sai Baba devotees in Singapore, Sai

Sansthan, Singapore is organizing Shirdi Sai Baba prayer session every Saturday

between 18:30 hrs to 20:30 hrs at 2nd floor function hall, Sri Vadapathira

Kaliamman temple, (opp. to Sinda), 555, Serangoon Road, Singapore-218174. We

invite you all to participate and seek Baba's blessings. For further details,

please visit www.saisansthan.com.

Sai Baba Satsang in Auckland, New ZealandSai Baba Satsang ( Bhajans , Provochan

, Sai Ashotottram and Shej Arathi ) is held every Thursday from 7:00 pm to 9:00

pm at MT Roskill War Memorial Hall, May Road , Mt Roskill, Auckland, NZ. For

more detials visit our website http://www.shirdisaibaba.org.nz or mail to

info (AT) shirdisaibaba (DOT) org.nz.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar thanks you for your support for the Question of the Week feature.

This feature is intended to initiate useful discussion on topics related to Sai

philosophy, His message, and Sai devotion. Please send your suggested topics for

the same. Sai devotee Meenakshi Kumar suggested the Question of the week as

follows: When Hemadpant asked Sri Sai, "Baba do all the crowding around you are

benefited?" Sri Sai answered that only a few flowers ripe into fruits, not all

are benefited. My question is why is it so? Q. How are we to know that we have

won Sai's grace?

Humbly Yours,The Editor

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>From and Editor:

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