Views of Shirdi Sai Baba on YOGA

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Yoga means " to join " . The ultimate union of our soul with the God is called

Yoga. We all feel pain and a feeling of deep inner loneliness because we have

separated from our Source. All Yoga aim at re-establishing our contact with our

Source " the Self " . The union cannot be achieved as long as we are caught in the

matrix of life and death due to our Karma. Union with the God/ Brahma / Supreme

power implies that the soul has broken free of the cycle of birth and death.

The soul will not have to take birth after birth to work out its karma. We call

it by name of Nirvana/ Moksha/ Salvation. Every soul has to reach this level

of perfection. It is said that at this stage the soul gets enlightened and can

recall all its past, present and future. The soul can create anything it wants.

The soul becomes Spirit. It attains the state of Existence-Knowledge-Bliss.

 

Some souls reach this state in only a few births while some take hundreds of

births and still wonder what is the purpose of getting a human birth. Shirdi Sai

Baba often said that we get human body as a result of our good karma so that we

can work towards our own salvation/ moksha/ nirvana. Every human being has to

take steps towards self realization and ultimately God realization i.e., first

to learn that he is soul and not body. Ultimately realize and let his soul

merge with the Divine Holy Spirit (God).

 

We can come across someone (Guru / Guide) who will remind us of the purpose of

taking human birth. However, the one, who has already achieved self realization

and God realization and strives to help others to achieve the same is known as

Sadguru (ascendant master or Perfect Master). Shirdi Sai Baba is one such

Sadguru. He may not be physically visible to us anymore but His holy spirit is

still guiding and helping many of His devotees towards self realization and God

realization.

 

As per Hindu scriptures, there are mainly four routes to reach this ultimate

destination Karma Yoga (Work), Jnana Yoga (Knowledge), Raja Yoga (Power) and

Bhakti Yoga (Devotion). Though during his lifetime, Shirdi Sai Baba has thrown

light on all forms of Yoga. As per ancient Hindu scriptures, consistent

practice of either Love, Work, Knowledge or Psychic control help us achieve

Yoga. These four routes that take us to our ultimate destination are called

Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga respectively. In the final

stages all these routes overlap with each other and become the same. Sai Baba

was Yogasampanna (full of Yoga). He has given practical demonstration of all

these Yogas by His conduct, action and preachings during His physical lifetime

on earth.

 

Shirdi Sai Baba has also given discourses on all these Yoga practices to His

devotees as per their needs and qualifications. To be able to learn and master

any of these Yogas to reach our final destination needs grace of God, which

further depends on the qualification of the receiver. A student of class fourth

cannot be given knowledge of class eighth. Baba would often say that people

keep asking him for worldly comforts but do not ask Him to give them what He

wanted them to give out of His full treasury.

 

Bhakti Yoga: This is path of pure extreme love and single minded devotion. The

devotee (Bhakta) places his trust in his ascendant master and loves Him

unconditionally thinking Him to be Brahma/ Universe. The Master looks to the

qualifications and preparedness of the seeker, works on the mind, thoughts and

feelings of the devotee and gently but surely guides him towards path of self

realization.

 

Sai Baba had placed such unconditional faith in his Guru and waited patiently

for His blessings. He advised His devotees to do the same. Sai Baba maintained

that though Bhakti Yoga (Yoga of Love) is difficult but if one has a guide than

this route becomes the easiest path to follow. The only condition is that for

treading this path the devotee has to surrender himself completely (sarvasva

sharanagati) to his deity with firm belief that his Perfect Master will take him

safely across the worldly ocean existence. Sai Baba often asked people to offer

Him two pice of Shraddha and Saburi, if devotee wanted Him to become their

guide. Bookish knowledge is for intellectual learning. For spiritual

learning, a capable Sadguru is needed who is pure love incarnate, does not care

for monetary benefit and is Himself Self-realized. Shirdi Sai Baba was all this

and more.

 

A Bhakti Yogi has to surrender himself to his Sadguru, his personal God. Sai

Baba once told a devotee (who was following some other Guru) to hold on to his

own " bolster " and not leave his Guru. Baba advocated that we should have faith

in our Sadguru, we should assimilate his teachings and follow them with patience

without any doubt. So many times Sai Baba appeared as Ram, Krishna, Vithala,

etc to His devotees to confirm their faith in their respective personal Gods.

He sent Shama to Vani to fulfil his mother's vow made to their family's personal

God.

 

Karma Yoga:

 

A karma yogi has to perform all his activities with disinterest and offer them

to God. A karma yogi is detached and does not yearn for worldly desires like

wealth, progeny and fame. A karma yogi lives to serve the world. Shirdi Sai

Baba gave a practical demonstration of being a perfect Karma Yogi during His

lifetime. He had no family, desires or wants. He had pure love for humanity.

He kept " Dhuni " burning day and night. Every day he would go out for bhiksha

(mendicancy) round(s). He did not store money. He did not care for expensive

gifts offered to Him by His devotees. He was dispassion incarnate and had no

attachment with anything of this world. He only cared for the welfare of His

devotees in every possible way He could. So many times He took the pain

/sufferings of His devotees' for giving them relief. Many of His devotees got

cured by His blessings.

 

Sai Baba always looked after the welfare of His devotees. Rich and poor were

treated similarly and once they surrendered themselves to Baba, their problems

became Baba's problems. Sai Baba took human form for the sake of His devotees,

to serve mankind and to sort out the differences between Hindus and Muslims at

that time.

 

The famous snake and frog story rendered by Baba is a perfect example of how

karma performed with attachment brings about our downfall. Baba would often say

we get what is ours and we lose what does not belong to us. Our karma

determines what we deserve.

Sai Baba advised us to practice self restraint, be loving, truthful, unselfish,

develop good character, resist evil thoughts.

 

Jnana Yoga:

 

A rich gentleman had visited Baba to get brahma gyana(secrets of universe).

Baba gave him an extensive intellectual insight into Brahma and explained how

and why it is difficult to understand this knowledge. So many things are to be

surrendered for gaining knowledge of Brahma. This jnana can only be given to

those who have attained certain qualifications to receive the same. Further it

requires the grace of Guru/ God without which no knowledge can be acquired.

Jnana Yogi has a very highly developed " vivek " and can easily distinguish

between Real and Unreal " Maya/ Illusion " . Baba has explained about the working

of Maya to His devotees. Baba would often say that God pervades everything.

Only God is real, while the rest is illusion. Life would be easy if we can

understand this. Baba advised His devotees to watch the show of their life as a

bystander and detach themselves so that they do not feel pain. Baba's most

famous phrase " Sabka Malik Ek " is symbolic of a Yogi who has realized

universality of religion. A jnani knows that at the highest levels of all

religions - all is one. Baba wanted the whole humanity to understand this.

 

Raja Yoga:

 

This Yoga requires practice of psychic control, control of inner unseen world.

Visualisation of God /Universe within through meditation etc. Sai Baba is

" antaryami " . Baba had full knowledge of inner and outer world of His devotees.

He could read the inner most thoughts and desires of His devotees. He could

manifest Himself at places other than Shirdi. He identified Himself as one with

other saints and even proved it to so many of His devotes through many such

manifestations. He could control fire, rain and other natural phenomenon. Raja

Yogi is required to do some physical yogic exercises to keep the body fit and

Sai Baba excelled at such practices like Khanda Yoga and Dhauti. Like a Raja

Yogi he had control over His food habits. His tongue knew no taste. He

disapproved of fasting and preached moderation in eating. Baba's teaching

regarding how He met His Guru who helped Him to introvert His outgoing

tendencies and made Him feel bliss supreme is a perfect Raja Yoga practice. A

Raja Yogi can control natural elements like Baba could control the raging fire

or stop the storm. Baba knew deepest inner thoughts of all and often said that

wherever His devotee may be, He is always with him and knows every action and

thought of His devotee. Though He would be seen mixing with all His visitors,

He remained in state of " Samadhi " internally.

 

From all above it is clear that non-attachment is the basis of all Yogas. The

destination of all the Yogas is the same, i.e., " union with God " . So at one

point all these Yoga practices start overlapping with each other. Shirdi Sai

Baba was a master of all these Yogas - A perfect living example " of how to put

such divine knowledge to practice. He said He was there to help and guide but

people are more interested in worldly desires. So many times He would fulfil an

earnest devotees' worldly desires first, in order to bring him on the path of

Yoga later.

 

Like Hemadpant says it is very difficult to comprehend the life of great

Sadgurus like Sai Baba. We can just imagine their greatness using our limited

intellectual bookish learning. One has to practice and experience such yogic

practices but that can be possible if we come across someone who has himself

united with His Self. I am lucky, I found my Sadguru in Shirdi Sai Baba. I

pray to Him to work on me internally, change and direct my thoughts in the right

or positive direction. Sai Baba help me choose my thoughts from the highest

point of love so that I can reach and merge with You.

 

by Vandana Ritik

From Heritage of Shirdi Sai

www.heritageofshirdisai.org