Sai Vichaar for Thursday, May 03, 2007

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Sai Vichaar www.saibaba.org Thursday , May 03, 2007 :: Volume 9, Issue 51 (In its nineth 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: Key to Happiness Is there a way to quantify faith? What constitutes a successful dose of patience? Some endure a

hardship for several years, yet call themselves fortunate. Some seem to have a short stint with time and profess to have waited patiently! Wisdom, whether through Bhakthi or Jnana should impart the ability to discriminate? Discrimination between things of transient nature and that are permanent should lead to detachment. Spirituality may not be about quantifiable material gains and losses that one accomplishes with the help of Sadguru. It may also not be about extending the benefits that are only perishable. On the other hand, it may be about a total personal transformation that should take place every minute, while at sleep or awake. The effort has to come from within oneself and the external factors may be the means to accomplish them. On several occasions, Baba said out of love for His devotees - "What (whether good or bad) is ours, is with us, and what is another's is with him." - Ch. XLV, Shri Sai Satcharitra. Some of the simplest expressions of Baba seem to have the

message of greatest importance. A moment of contemplation on such comments might have the most profound effects on what we perceive as pain or pleasure. By the above statement, Sadguru Sainath has endorsed the thought that our actions precede our fruits, the consequences. He also several times advised that one have to endure the consequences of his past Karma. Devotees also have seen how Sainath comes to their rescue if the faith is earnest and the patience is complete. The patience is complete if the faith is earnest. He is the helmsman and His boundless coffers are open. CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Yoga Sampanna The yogic powers of Sadguru Sai Baba of Shirdi are well known. However, no one knows the depth and extent to which Sai Baba was versed with the powers. He seemed to possess all and He seemed to exhibit them whenever necessary without much ado. It is said that

'Siddhis' or the supernatural powers stand with folded hands at the door of those who established mastery over their senses, conquered his/her "prana", singularly devoted to the Lord and whose conscious is ever with oneself. Yoga-Sutras classify Siddhis into three categories depending on their magnanimity. There are altogether twenty three siddhis belonging to these three categories, great, medium, and minor. The eight great Siddhis include Anima (ability to reduce one's form to the level of an atom), Mahima (ability to make the body heavy), Laghima (ability to make the body light), Prapti (ability to acquire objects of sense pertaining to the respective organs), Prakashya (ability to see and know invisible things), Ishita (ability to stimulate other creatures and bodies), Vashita (ability to have supremacy over senses), and Yatkamastadavasyathi (the power to obtain joys of all the world by mere willing. This leads to the state of highest bliss through ending all desires).

It is very rare that a great soul would possess all these eight siddhis. Sai Baba had all the above-mentioned siddhis and more. Sometimes His actions were a combination of two or more siddhis that went beyond the normal nomenclature provided in the Yoga literature. Sai Baba used these powers only when necessary as if to conform to a higher cosmic order that humans did not understand. Sometimes He manifested Himself at a place to attend to the calls of His devotees while at other times He exercised from a distance His will to control the happenings in the lives of those who had faith in His supreme. Mrs. Manager, a Parsee devotee of Bombay who had visited Sai Baba many times during 1910-1915 noted, "One noticeable difference between Sri Sai Baba and other saints struck me. I have moved with other notable saints also. I have seen them in high Samadhi or trance condition merely forgetting their body and course effacing the narrow notion of self confined to the

body; and I have seen them later getting conscious of their surroundings, knowing what is in our hearts and replying to us. However, with Sai Baba, there was this peculiar feature. He had not to go into trance to achieve anything or to reach any higher position or knowledge. He was every moment exercising a double consciousness, one actively utilizing the ego called Sri Sai Baba and dealing with other egos in temporal and spiritual affairs, and the other entirely superseding all egos and resting in the position of the Universal soul or ego. Other saints would forget their body and surroundings and their return to it. But Sri Sai Baba always was in and outside the material world. Others seemed to take pains and by efforts to trace the contents of others' minds and read their past history. But with Sai Baba this was not a matter of effort. He was in the all-knowing state always". (Contributed by Source: "Shirdi Sai the Supreme" by Dr. S.P.

Ruhela) DEVOTEES SAY: VipulI am writing in reference to the question asked by devotee Sravankumar and Deepali. My family is Sai devotee for more then 55 years. Sai never appears in dreams of any of my family members. That does not mean that He did not help us. Whatever we are today is because of Him. Regarding your wishes first of all you have to suffer for all wrong you did in past or in other past life. It takes nine months for us to come to this world, then start walking, talking, study, etc and everybody is not going with same pace.Same way it is not so easy to have Sai's darshan. Just think why Sai appears in dreams of many devotees and not yours? Ask those devotees after how many time of prayers and good karma they could see Sai in dreams? Just compare yours and those devotees plus and minus points. Your letter itself shows that you do not have faith and

patient. You do not want any problems! Want everything you wish. I was believing like you and want easy life. After more then 45 years I feel I am able to concentrate now slowly. But during these years Sai gave me strength to overcome whatever I did wrong (past karma). In this world everybody wants to be happy, without any problems! If it was so easy there is no need of God! There will not be any charm in this life. KumarSai baba thank you for blessing my friend. I prayed last week to Sai Baba that my friend's medical report will come good, as it was feared that he may have heart problem. The reports came and nothing was there as suspected, I think it is Sai Baba's grace and His blessings. RaveendraThanks to our dear Baba to listen to our prayers and bless my wife with a good job. Baba, I am really grateful to You to bless my wife with a job. As I have said that I will post this in the Sai

Newsletter, I am doing it now. Thanks a lot Baba. RohiniThis is to thank Deepti on her article on April 26th 2007. How beautifully worded about how we see things and think why Sai Baba will not listen to some people and what we feel. I am so thankful to Deepti for sharing with us. May Sai God bless her and every one. Sai devoteeBaba! there is no end for Your wonders. I am currently in England and I was waiting for my German visa for a long time. Just this morning when I was listening to kakad arathi, I prayed Baba to bless me with the confirmation news as it was getting very late. I was very confident that I will get that confirmation by today. No wonder when I reached my office this morning, the first mail I see in my inbox was a mail from my friend carrying a message "a photo of Saibaba" and the second mail in order is the confirmation from German office stating that the embassy had confirmed

my visa and they would inform the London embassy accordingly. I will get my visa on Thursday from London. This was the message. All this happened in one hour and infact it happened exactly when I was praying to Baba as Germany is one hour ahead in the time zone. Just imagine the feeling that Baba's photo in the first mail and the visa confirmation in the second mail and I dont find words to write here, but the feeling was great as I could feel the presence of Baba with me every second. A simple thanks is nothing for Your wonders but accept my sincere love Baba. AdarshiniI have tried to be a vegetarian, I have my days of fasting and follow my religion. My problem is when I tried to be a vegetarian, I have found it so hard. I hope I am not commiting a sin, by giving it up and then going back to it. Kindly advice me. Sai devoteeI want to share my experience with everyone. Last Thursday I wrote a

letter in Sai Vichaar from my job. I prayed to Baba to send my citizenship papers. I was surprised, when I reached home and checked the mail box the papers were there. This is nothing but Baba's miracle. Baba thanks for Your blessings. Baba if I could meet my brother who is in America before he goes back to India, I will share my experience in Sai Vichaar. Baba bless my husband. Make him Your devotee. Baba give him a good job or business so his routine should set up. Baba please solve my problems . You know every thing. Jai Sai Ram. PRAYER CLUB: CynthiaBaba, I leave it all at Your feet, bless my brother and secure his future. You alone know all. My humble pranams at thy lotus feet. Baba, when he gets permanently appointed I will ask him to give thanks on this site. Jai Sai Ram. AshaThe fulfillment of which will make our

lives complete and joyful. Please bless us and help us achieve that wish. We shall be ever grateful to You! RanjeethaPlease help me out of this situation without getting caught anywhere. I don't want my name to get spoilt. I have full faith in You that You will solve it. RajivShow her the path to respect her elders. She has even lost her faith in You, Baba. Please bless us. Make her Your staunch devotee again. I promise if my family is happy, I will again start visiting Your temple on daily basis as I used to do. Due to her behavior my children are also suffering a lot. Have mercy on my family. RajasekharI am not sure if I made a good decision or not. The only reason I took this job is because You gave me this job. Forgive me for doubting this decision. Please let me be happy in this job without thinking about other things. Please let me have

satisfaction and allow me not to compare things between the companies. LakshmiBaba, we have been trying since 5 years to have a child. Me and my husband went to the doctor but doctor said we have unknown infertility. Baba please solve our problems and bless us with a healthy baby. AdityaPlease get us our lost bag as soon as possible. You know how restless we are. Forgive us if we have done anything wrong. We are in India and would like to visit You at Shirdi very soon if You permit. NikkiDear Saibaba please watch over Alok and his family and help them get through this and please cure him. They really need Your help. RadhaPlease Sai help both of us, he needs a good job to support the family. We need a baby I left my job and wasted this one year hoping that I would get a baby. Sai you gave me whatever I wanted in

life but these two are primary need in one's life. I am now worried whether I have some problems in my health. What should I do now? Please tell me God. Do I have to go for a thorough check up again? Please bless us with a baby. Sai devoteePlease help me out of this distressful life, what I am undergoing. My child is not talking to me and my husband is no more. I am undergoing terrible stress in my mind. I am not able to concentrate in my work. I daily come to Your shrine and I do not know what to pray. I am confident that You will protect me throughout my life and help me out of this misery at the earliest. SudeviBaba, please solve this big problem. We don't have much time with us. Baba please listen to our prayers from bottom of our heart. Please Baba help us to come out of it. Please Deva make our faith in You more and more. Please take care of everything. Please Baba save

us. EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES: ArunaMy father and I visited Shirdi in 2002. At that time I was not a firm believer of Baba, but miracles started happening in my life after that. Baba blessed me with my dream man, I got a job opportunity in America and I was blessed with a beautiful daughter (this all happened within one year after visiting Shirdi). After all these miracles I still was not a firm believer of Baba, but I always had inner feelings that Baba is behind all these miracles, because whereever I went I used to come across people who talked about Baba (not only in India but also in America). When I was pregnant with my second daughter one of my test came out positive for some disease and doctor called me and said I have to go for counseling after my counseling it was up to me whether I wanted to go for another test, me and my husband decided to have another

test and I got my test scheduled one week later. During this period I was so scared restless and depressed that I decided to read Sai Satcharitra which I had with me for a long time. I started reading Sai Satcharitra on my way to have my test; I was reading it in the waiting room and in the testing room too. When the doctor came to test me I was chanting Sai Baba's name and my test turned out negative. Me and my husband were surprised and we kept on asking the doctor are you sure. And I delivered a beautiful and healthy girl baby. I think this was also one of the miracles by Baba. But I really feel ashamed that it took me a long time to become a strong believer of Baba. Baba please keep Your blessings on our family for ever and bless me to pass my test. Sai Ram. DeepakI am really thankful to Baba who has blessed me and my family with all happiness. My wife is a heart patient. She had a hole in her heart when she was a child, which

was later operated and cured by the blessing of Baba, but her heart valve had to be replaced during the operation and she is on some blood thinner which she has to take her whole life for smooth functioning of the valve, it's a kind of life saving drug for her. My wife is firm believer of Baba and through her I also started believing Baba, but my belief was very limited till I experienced Baba very closely. In the year 2005 my wife got pregnant but at the same time we came to know that she cannot take her life saving drugs which was a tablet and instead of that she has to take injections for first three months of her pregnancy. We all forced her to get an abortion but she was not ready for that, instead of that she prefered taking two injections per day which was the only substitute for her oral medicines. But destiny was not that favorable to us as she got some problem in her heart's artificial valve and she had to be admitted in the ICU. The doctor told us that she can

be treated for this but the treatment is very risky and she can have stroke and she can be paralytic. But we did not have any choice except going for the treatment. Somehow her valve problem got solved and she was back to her oral medicines but the day she was getting discharged she started showing the symptoms of stroke. We discharged her but within two days we had to admit her again in some other hospital were the doctor told us that she got a stroke, her hands and lips were not working fine as she cannot even talk properly. We all were shattered and at the same time we got another bad news that she cannot take her life saving drug for next one week till her stroke treatment is over. continued.....We all were just helpless and did not know what to do, the medicine which she cannot miss for one day she has to leave it for one week. Doctors were also not confident and they clearly told us that anything can happen and we have to take

the chance. My wife called me in ICU and asked me to give her some Vibhuti(Udi). That time I was totally surprised by her believe and just started believing that if anything can save my wife and our baby that will be Sai Baba only. I started giving her the Udi daily and not only for a week but she was without her medicine for almost 8-9 days, which was almost unbelievable. She was discharged and even our baby was doing fine. And slowly her paralytic symptoms also vanished and on 16th of Jan 2006 by the grace of Sai Baba we were blessed with a beautiful daughter. She is just Baba's blessing without Him this was impossible, and now after she has completed her one year we have taken her to Shirdi for Baba's blessing. Baba please always shower Your blessing to us. Jai Sai Ram. DeborshiI want to share my experience how Baba helped me out when I was in dire straits. It was in the end of year 2003, I was a student of Chartered Accountancy,

Final course and I had already taken the exam, couple of times but without any success. My mother came to know about Sai Baba through one of her office colleagues. Both my parents went to Shirdi and prayed to Baba for my success in the exam. They repeatedly prayed to Him asking only for my "passing marks" (which is 50 percent of the total). When my result was declared I was astonished to see of the two groups I have cleared Group I by getting 200 out of 400. One year later the remaining group got cleared where I had scored again exactly 200 out of 400. Now, getting just 50 percent and passing the exam is very rare but getting 50 percent in both the groups exactly and passing, I don't think anybody else have got this. This is how Baba keeps His word and is with His millions and millions of devotees all the time. QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: "Sai Baba is always full of mercy.

What is wanted on our part is whole-hearted devotion to Him. When a devotee has got firm faith and devotion, his wishes are soon fulfilled ".-Sri Sai Satcharitha QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Q. Why is Thursday important for Baba? A. by SG Kavthankar The day Guruwar is same as Thursday in Indian language meaning Day of the Guru. Sai Baba always had high respect for the status of Guru. According to him, Guru was needed to guide us in the path towards liberation and reach towards the Lord. Hence Thursday was important to Shri Sai Baba. Q. Why is Thursday important for Baba? A. by Nainesh In Gujarati, Thursday is called Guruvar which means Guru's day so our Sai who is Guru of the world and our Guru like this day. Jai Sai Ram. 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. Shri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MinnesotaSaibaba activities in Minneapolis were conducted at Shirdi Saibaba Prayer center since the year

2002. Now, with the grace and blessings of Baba and the support of devotees, a new Saibaba Mandir has begun to function at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis from July 11th 2006. Please visit www.hamaresai.org for all details. 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 Center in Bay Area, CAShirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704 or send email to saibandhu. You can also visit our website is www.Shirdisaiparivaar.org. Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CADevotees in Los Angeles area are informed

about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938 or visit www.shirdisaila.org. Saibaba Temple, Columbus, OhioDevotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 7674 Sawmill Rd, Dublin, OH 43016. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call Panditjee at 614-799-8411 or visit www.saibaba.cc. Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, FloridaDevotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276. FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD: Sai Vichaar is an open forum for those interested to share their experiences, views and ideas on Sai devotion and their experiences with Saibaba of Shirdi. Readers are requested to note that Sai Vichaar is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors. The Question of the week for this week is suggested by a Sai devotee as follows: Q. Why is Thursday important for Baba? Humbly Yours,The Editor ABOUT THIS EMAIL: This newsletter is not sent unsolicited. This newsletter is e-mailed to you because of at least one of the following reasons:1. You have d through our on-line page,2. You have visited our web site and shown interest in the Sai topics and asked for information, or3. You have been gifted a

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team or the Shirdi Sai Baba web site is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.