Guest guest Posted June 26, 2008 Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 Sai Vichaar www.saibaba.org Thursday , June 26, 2008 :: Volume 11, Issue 7 (In its eleventh 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: How Baba does it? Faith in Saibaba slowly leads one to believe that Baba is behind the things done or undone. This realization works easy when the things happen to one's satisfaction while it falters if things are not pleasing. The path to the complete surrender at Sadguru's lotus feet chops away the difference between the pleasant and unpleasant. If one completely understands how Baba's intent or sankalpa translates to tangible actions to its minutest details, contentment naturally fills in the heart and as the consequence equanimity. Rare and great are such souls. Or, if one would say that somehow Baba will do it, is indicative of a blind faith in Sadguru's disposition. This is a feeling that rain or shine, it is Baba! Any trace of ignorance in this regard will be washed away in the constant company of the Sadguru. But judgments of others actions such as "what does he or she think he or she is doing? Its all Baba's doing", is blatant arrogance. One can easily understand this feeling with a little bit of contemplation. These thoughts should be nipped in the bud, as they are signs of spiritual falling. Baba didn't materialize anything out of thin air. Baba's "miracles" happen through people and situations in our surroundings in the most inconspicuous ways. This truth is articulated in the most eloquent way by Sri Sarathbabuji as follows: "Miracles of Sai do not take place as something falling from the sky. We experience it through mercy, compassion, and protection from those around us in a natural way. We pray to Baba, "Baba! I need money". I am in difficulties". We offer naivedya to Baba and go to bed, but we do not see Baba keeping a lakh rupees under the pillow! Someone will come to us and suggest a solution to our problem. Baba Himself said, "Not a single leaf moves without my order". When the wind blows, the leaves on the tree move. When even the movement of a leaf from an inanimate tree requires Baba's order, His intent and grace, how can we think that everything is in our hands? When this awareness crops in us, the ego that makes us think, "We are doing something, we have to do it, we have to accomplish and we have accomplished because we have done something", will vanish. The realization that "He does everything. And we are not capable of doing anything" is called as "Complete Surrender". However, this should not become the dry and wry philosophy of uttering around, "Its all Baba's sankalpa, what do I have to do? He has done it". The cognizance of "complete surrender" should remain as just an inspiration, a background to the pursuit of our desires, ideals, and trials. Unless we get to completely experience the intent of Saibaba in every action, we should not use the term "complete surrender" for our convenience". CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Baba Is Waiting For Your Call The relation between Bhagavan (God) and bhakta (devotee ) is like affection between father and son. Sai bhaktas cannot stay silent without remembering Baba; they will be calling 'Sai' or 'Baba' while eating, in misery and in merriness. Baba is always awake and waiting for the call of the troubled people. We always look to Baba in difficulty and after tiding over difficult situation we again get entangled into the world of Maya. Baba the manifestation of absolute bliss, is relieving our troubles and fulfilling our desires, even by calling Him once. Such a treasure should be enthroned in the heart permanently. Without worldly desires if you pray, ' Baba, I do not have desires, I only need your constant blessing and company and let my heart adore your lotus feet'. Baba who is fulfilling our selfish desires will certainly come to you if you pray with selfless desire and get enthroned in your heart. Then only one can know how merciful He is towards His bhaktas. (Contributed by Varaprasad) DEVOTEES SAY: JaganI am working in a SW company and studying simultaneously. I got a chance to fly to London for work in December (exams were happening). I was about to accept it by ignoring the exams but suddenly the chance got cancelled and I was pretty sad that I missed it but I wrote my exams well. Then due to lot of problems my project got suspended and all the chances were lost, and I was out of that project in February. Then I was sitting without any work and thought my chance was ruined, then again exams came in May and when it was about to get over. I got a call from one of the senior officials saying I have been selected and I need to travel in June (exams over and I was free). I was surprised as I got the job because of my hard work in the previous project but the time and situation changes got me in to the right chance and time. This made me realize in Baba's tactics. ShwetaMy husband got transferred to Pune recently. He was searching for a house on rent there. We got one good house through a broker but on the day of signing the agreement he found that there was a theft in the same house, which we were planning to take on rent. He cancelled the agreement. Then we were very worried about the security of the house. Then we both prayed to Baba and asked him to help us in searching a secured house and in a good locality. And with Baba's grace we got a very good house in a good residency area. Baba always be with us and with all your devotees. SudhakarThanks Baba to bless my wife with a good job on a Thursday. Please be with all of us as always. PraveenaIt is only because of Your blessings and kindness that my husband and I got a job few months back and as you know I am going to complete my probationary period in few more days. Baba, You have taken care of my worries and has blessed my family. I pray to you to shower your blessings on all the needy and always to take care of us. SantoshDear Baba, Thanks for all that you have given us. We are grateful to you we are indebted to You. Please tell us our duties and we will perform them to the very best of our abilities. Baba, thank you for getting my son a seat in a good school. Please see that he has a good character, good discpline, mannners, education, concentration success, good luck and good earnings from now on forever. Please continue to shower Your blessings on us. As promised I have expressed my gratitude to You in this newsletter and promise to fulfill all our good vows. PRAYER CLUB: PrasannaBaba, please bless me that he should take me into payrolls so that I can support my family. Baba, I pray from bottom of my heart please bless me. Samartha Sadguru Sainath Maharaj ki Jai. ShvetaMy parents are also in great tension. Please Sai Baba ji I know you are the only one who can help my family to come out of this difficult situation. Sai devoteeDear Sai, Thanks for everything Baba. You know how much tensed and worried I was when my husband was not well, I believed only You, thanks once again for the safe journey and now by Your grace he is doing fine. Baba now I am praying for our career, You know what is best and I always believe that You will give me the best, as always I leave this also under Your feet, take care of us Baba. You know everything and at this moment I pray for everyone please take care of all of us and bless us all. Be with me Baba and bless us to have a wonderful life, all that I have now in my life is because of Your blessings only, always shower your blessings on us, sorry for posting this letter late Baba, I will again post my thanks in Sai Vichaar as soon as my husband gets best position by Your grace. Love you Baba. DevinaSai baba, you know everything that is happening in our life. Please help us. I am in need of Your help. I have full faith in You, I know one day you will listen to my prayers and will grant me my wish. You will make it happen. But Baba, I do not have much time left. Please Baba help us in convincing his parents. I do not know why they are sticking to this caste issue. How can this be the only reason in saying no to our marriage? Sai baba, please go and talk to his parents. They will listen to You. You are the only one who can convince his parents for this marriage. They will listen to You. They cannot say no to You. Please Baba give us Your blessings. We need Your help in convincing his parents for this marriage. Please help us. MineshSai Baba, please help me in selling my house and other articles before we leave for India. Let my younger brother get a job, forget the past and lead a normal life with his kids with Your help. Please answer our family's prayers. Sai Baba, thanks for what You have already given to our family in the past and for what You will give in future also. I will write to You once again. Sai DevoteeBaba, I believe in You. I know I have committed many sins in my past life. Now my daughter has applied for divorce. She has three and a half year old child. I do not want her to get divorce. I would like that she should be united with her husband, child, brother and sister-in-law. She should stay with them as she used to do previously. She should also get a job at Ahmedabad or Gandhinagar. O Lord Sai please come to my and my daughter's rescue. Baba, by thy grace my daughter should not get divorce. I solicit Your blessings on her. I shall visit Your holy temple with all my family. Please listen to my prayer. Please look after my daughter and her son. AshokOm Shirdi Saibaba, please bless us for our wishes to come true soon. We should get good news on coming Wednesday and it should go successful thereafter. We will all visit Shridi next year. Your blessings are always needed for all of us. Sai devoteeBaba, every person has to face the bad action of past birth and this birth. We have to face our karma. From past four and half years I have become an experimental tool for the doctors. This month also I thought I will be blessed by You but again in vain. Again this month also I am going to get injections and sit in home idle and alone. You tell me Baba my Shradha have not reached You. My Saburi is less. Every girl has the right to become a mother. But I am that unlucky girl feel Your blessing in every step and every minute of life but when I speak of child I feel You turn your face. Baba if you won?t listen to me, then to whom I will go and pray. My dear Baba, you tell me what I have to do. My family is incomplete. Bless me. Baba please bless me and make my family a complete family. A devoteeSai Ram, please guide me for the house, should I sell this one and then buy which one or retain this one shower Your blessings, and please clear the problem ( with no fault of his) my husband is facing in his office. Baba please help for the struggle we are facing. You know very well so please stand by us and bless us otherwise we are loosing our health and peace of mind. You give us darshan, You know, no one is there for us except You. Put my son always on right path. No one should try to let me and my family down. Jai Sai Ram. EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES: RituI want to share my experience with all the Sai devotees. It's been a year that we have moved to Canada. Baba protected us at every step, as it was a tough time for my family to settle in a new country. In the starting days, we went to health care office to apply for our health card. We did all the formalities and showed them the legal documents. That lady told us that we would receive our health card after three months. We left the office and went to bank to open an account. The manager of the bank asked us for some proof to open an account, as we had all the legal documents in our bag then we confidently told her that we can show you right away. We were in shock when we did not find the documents in our bag. My husband checked the bag 3-4 times but did not find them. At that time, we were like earth is not under our feet. We told manager that we would come some other time to show you the documents, as we have to rush somewhere else. When we came out of the bank, we were like crying that where we left the documents. Those documents were our Passports, PR cards, Rent agreement and other important stuff. We were new and all the proofs of our residency were missing. We cried and begged to Baba for mercy. We told Him that we would be Your slave whole life if we would get the documents back. My husband told me to go back to health care office and check out but we were not sure whether we will get them there because there was a long queue and we were like if someone else get those documents then he or she could misuse them. We were praying to Baba and reached that office. The security guard did not allow us to go to the reception but I begged him to let me go once and check out from that lady if she would have kept it somewhere. He told me that the shift has changed and that lady has gone. I was like crying and prayed to Baba that if You are there then You have to do something. continued......I don't know how that guard agreed to check out the reception desk. Below that desk he found a file and showed me whether it is ours or not. Oh my Baba, I was like so happy from inside and my tears were flowing, I told him that yes that file is ours. He said how would I get to know that it is yours, and then he asked our D.O.B and other stuff. I don't know how Baba came there and rescued us. Thanks to Baba, he gave us that file. We have never seen such a big miracle of Baba ever. We thanked Baba and hold our ears, if we have done something wrong then please forgive us and thanks for Your blessing Sainath. I just want to say one thing and that is, whenever we pray to Saibaba with pure heart He always listen to us and stand by us. Thank you so much Sai for helping us at each and every step of our life. Now my husband is settled, I will also get a job by Baba's grace within a few months. Baba, You are always with all your devotees. Thanks Baba, You are our mother and father. QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: "Holy company is the most perfect means of purification".-Shri Sai Baba QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Q. Anger burns oneself and others as well. How can we take control over this? A. by Kiranmai Slokam 34 of Vishnu Sahasranamam - Om ishTo'viSiSishTah SishTeshTah SikhanDI nahusho vr'shah krodha-hA krodha-kr't kartA viSva-bAhur_ mahI-dharah Sri Sankara in context of explaining Vishnu Sahasra Namam sloka-34 - om krodha-kr'te namah - He who developed anger. In HIs incarnation as paraSurAma, He got angry at kArta-vIrya and his Kshatriya race and destroyed 21 generations of them, before giving up His anger as mentioned in the previous nAma. Sri Sankara gives the meaning that He creates anger in people who are wicked or bad -asAdhushu krodham karoti iti krodha-kr't, and they cause their own destruction because of this anger. So one could only hold onto Vishnu Sahasranamam chanting like Baba advocated numerous times and pray that helps in getting rid of negative samskara in one ; And in day to day life in situations that one require to be angry - practice tough love in earnest - "Hiss but don't bite". In other words, do not ever let your anger get to a point where you cause harm to others. SAI ACTIVITIES: Gurupournima at Shirdi Sai Temple, Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USAGurupoornima celebrations will be held in Shirdi Sai Temple, Chicago from Thursday, July 17th through Saturday, July 19th 2008. Program highlights: Maha Abhishek, Aarthis, Satcharita parayan, Sri Sai Satyanarayan Pooja, Sri Datta Moola Mantra Homam, Palaki procession and more. For program details please visit the temple website www.saibaba.us or contact the Temple office at 847-931-4058. Gurupoornima Celebrations - Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MNSri Saibaba Mandir in Minneapolis, MN will celebrate Gurupoornima 2008 from July 17-19. The program includes traditional Sai arathis, Sainaama jaap, Parayana, Sri Sai Gayathri Havan, and Sri Sai Satyavrata. Please visit the mandir website www.hamaresai.org or call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information. Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. 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 Temple of New England, Boston AreaSri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open every Thursday from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm and Saturday's from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm. For temple hours and activities please visit the website www.nessp.org or send mail to maildrop. 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. Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TXSri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted. For more information, please visit www.saiaustin.org. 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: Please note that Sai Vichaar is only yet another global platform on the electronic medium for sharing information on the life and message of Sadguru Sainath of Shirdi. Sai Vichaar does not profess to endorse any particular thought, nor will judge or reflect the opinions expressed by individual contributors. A Sai devotee suggested the "Question of the week" for this week as follows: Q. Anger burns oneself and others as well. How can we take control over this? 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 subscription by a friend or a relative. To Subscribe Sai Vichaar for receipt by Email please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the option from the menu. If you are subscribing the newsletter for your friend or a relative, we request that the person concerned may be notified about receiving the newsletter and the willingness to receive the newsletter be confirmed. To Un-Subscribe receipt of Sai Vichaar, please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the option from the menu. If you have problems accessing the web page due to network problems, please send an e-mail to support with the words "Un Sai Vichaar" in the subject line. To make a contribution to any of the sections of Sai Vichaar, please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the Submit Articles to Sai Vichaar option from the menu. Back copies of HTML version of Sai Vichaar can be accessed by visting the URL http://www.saibaba.org/whatsnew.html. For any questions or more information regarding this e-mail or our web site, please send an e-mail to maildrop and your inquiries will be attended to promptly. Thank you,The webmaster From and Editor: Shirdi Sai Baba Web Site Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha (A non-profit organization) Mail: 12N950 State Route 47 Hampshire, IL 60140, USA Email maildrop Phone 847-931-4058 Fax 847-931-4066 © Copyright 1998-2008 saibaba.org, Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha - Sai Vichaar Weekly may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter. Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same. Sai Vichaar team or the Shirdi Sai Baba web site is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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