Sai message for the day

[Guest guest]

Nowadays-even devotion has become a matter of convenience and

business, and is expected to yield quick results. Isn't this wrong in

the path of devotion? Are cunning and craft fruitful in devotion?

 

Today, whatever one does and says is all out of selfishness only. If

you develop devotion for getting a job, you are devoted to your

employer and not to God. If you are a devotee with a view to get

married, you are devoted to your wife or husband as the case may be,

but not to God.

 

If you notice clearly, you will know there is enough money in this

world. There are many in good positions. There are many influential

and reputed people. Should you pray to God for money, positions,

popularity, and influence which are already available in this world

plentifully? You should pray to God for those which are not available

here and are present in and with Him only. Two things are with God

only and are not present elsewhere. What are they? They are Bliss and

Peace. True devotion is what urges you to pray to God for these two

divine assets.

 

Most unfortunately, today people employ even tricks, backdoor methods

and logic in spiritual fields. Alas! They will never yield good

results. Such people will never succeed. Further they boomerang. God

and Mammon can't go together. You can't buy or sell God. Business on

commercial principles and God never go together. God doesn't want

your dhana, money or wealth. He looks into your dharma, conduct.

 

Alas! In the name of spirituality, it is very unfortunate that people

deceive each other, involve in financial transactions, politicise,

manipulate, cheat, scheme, plot, spend time in gossip and mud

slinging activities. Your knacks, tricks and gimmicks will never work

with God. You will never realise God through these tactics.

 

Here is a small story. A very rich man had a pet dog. One day when a

person was passing along the road, this dog chased him and was about

to bite him. Then the person being totally helpless hit the dog with

his stick. The dog died. This made the rich man very furious and he

took the matter to court to sue this person. There in the court the

judge asked the passerby as to why he had hit the dog resulting in

its death. The person said, " Sir! It fell upon me and was about to

bite me. I couldn't do anything. So, I had to hit it with the stick

in my hand and unfortunately the dog died " . Then the judge asked the

rich man what he would say in the matter. He said, " Sir! I can

understand the situation. But, why should he hit it on the head? Had

he not done so, the dog wouldn't have died " . The judge turned to this

person, wanting him to give the explanation. He said, " Sir! It was

about to bite me with its teeth. So I had to hit it on the head. Had

it tried to bite me with the tail, I would have certainly beaten its

tail " . So this is a knack or a trick to escape from the situation.

These things are of no use in the spiritual path.

 

Another example, a businessman had to go to a neighbouring town on

some business. He called his son and said, " My dear son! You please

look after my work carefully until I return. Be vigilant. Son! You

know I do daily puja. You also see me doing as t ottara puja,

repeat 108 precious names of God. You do it without fail during my

absence. I don't want you to discontinue " . The son said, " O.K.

father! I will scrupulously follow your instructions " . On his return

the businessman enquired of his son if he had done all the things

assigned to him including as t ottara puja. The son had shown him a

paper as proof of his compliance. There, on the paper his son wrote

God's holy name and marked `ditto, ditto' (-do-do-) so that he did

not have to repeat 108 times. Would this make a genuine as t ottara

puja? Do you expect any positive results out of such tactics?

 

Once a merchant went to a Guru and reverentially prayed to him to

give him mantra upades'a, to attain moksha. Then, the merchant

said, " Sir! Can I ask my assistant to repeat and chant the mantra a

thousand times Sahasranama on my behalf? " The Guru said, " It is

useless. What are you talking about? How do you expect to be

benefited when your assistant does the puja on your behalf? Do you

ever ask him to eat when you are hungry? Do you ever ask him to drink

water when you are thirsty? Do you ever ask him to go to a doctor and

take medicine when you are sick? What nonsense are you talking? " This

seems to be the trend in the thinking among modern seekers and

aspirants, this is not bhakti.

 

A path followed with your total virakti, detachment, your saktii,

total capacity and your anurakti, total love for God is bhakti, and

not yukti, the tricks you adopt.