Guest guest Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 Sai Vichaar www.saibaba.org Thursday , January 22, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 37 (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: Stones and Diamonds To be able to visit the Holy Shrine in Mecca is a matter of great significance to the followers of Islam. Even if done once in a lifetime, Muslims revere the occasion as the most blissful moment of their entire life. Those who successfully complete this pilgrimage to Haj are respectfully addressed as Haji and they command a high social status. Sidik Falke from Kalyan, Maharashtra, India, was one such blessed follower of Islam who visited Mecca and Madina and came to be known as "Haji" Sidik Falke. In his quest for spiritual fulfillment, Haji came to Shirdi to take meet Baba. Shri Hemadpanth narrates Haji's visit to Shirdi and how he was treated by Baba (Shri Sai Satcharitha Ch. XI, English version by Shri NV Gunaji). How could a spiritually inclined person, Haji, a Saadhaka in his own right, be ignored at Baba's court? Why did the merciful fakir ignore this apparently pious man? Baba told Shama, "You are too young to understand this. If Allah does not allow, what can I do?" After giving Haji, the necessary lessons in humility, Baba threw away His kolamba (mudpot), rushed towards Haji and said, "Why do you brag and fancy yourself great and pose yourself as an old Haji? Do you read Koran like this? You are proud of your pilgrimage to Mecca, but you do not know me". His ego completely annihilated, blessed Haji was enlisted in Baba's court. Even great men fail due to this "giving in" to the myth of ego. Guru's grace will be on those that can successfully isolate the "self" component and shatter the walls. Once Guru's grace is obtained, it is the spiritual responsibility of the seeker to sustain Guru's grace. Intense practice is necessary to ward off the creeping ego. Experiences at the end of any spiritual pursuit should if any, be limited to satisfaction, for even a little slip here awakens the pride. Diamonds are the ones that glow, being hollow of any obstructions to the divine light. CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: The real relationship with the teacher The real relationship with the teacher is from heart to heart, from soul to soul. And the most fundamental part of this relationship is that the teacher is not there. The teacher is just an empty space through which the Beyond, the Infinite Emptiness, can be experienced. There can be no relationship with the teacher on the level of the personality, because the teacher is one who has been made empty, who has been made "featureless and formless." Because the teacher is empty, has passed away and is free from self, the teacher is a space in which the lover can meet the Beloved. A teacher, or guide, is essential. If you need a guide to cross an unknown land, how much more do you need a guide to help you through the unknown inner world! To quote Rûmî: "Choose a master, for without him this journey is full of tribulations, fears, and dangers. With no escort, you would be lost on a road you would have already taken. Do not travel alone on the Path." The teacher calls to the inner being of the seeker, awakening the hidden substance of the heart, saying, "Yes, you can make this journey. It is not an impossible dream, but a reality. I have been there and I know." The teacher's being speaks its own experience directly to the heart of the seeker, and the heart of the seeker responds. The heart of the seeker knows that its deepest longing is being spoken to, that its most precious desire can be realized. The teacher calls to the seeker not with the voice of the personality, but with the song of an ancient spiritual tradition, with the song of all those who have gone before. The Sufi teacher is the human representative of a lineage, of a spiritual line of masters, each merged into the other. Each Sufi is a ray of energy that links the wayfarer to the many great masters who have gone before us; and these great beings look after us, help us to walk the lonely and desolate path home. (Contributed by Source: "Sufism, Dreamwork, and Jungian Psychology" by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee) DEVOTEES SAY: YashwinThanks a million times Baba for helping me and my family. Every time I have asked your help you have been here for me. I don't know where to start praising your glory my Lord since it is without a beginning and endless. Always shower your blessings upon us. Om Sai Ram Havovi MedoraThis is regarding your FEATURE OF THE WEEK last week. Whoever wrote the piece has done a superb job, recently I was feeling very down and miserable because something I wanted and needed was just not happening, I was rather upset with Sai who is my everything but when I read that article it was as if it was meant for me. We all have to realize that every word in that text was so true and faith and patience is truly what all Sai Baba devotees need. My relationship with Baba is so firm, loyal, steady and unshakeable -but even then, just before I read this article, I had feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Thank you for your Sai Vichaar each week which is so much like a crutch to all of us. It is so heartening to read of so many people around the globe who truly love my Sai. RadhikaThank you Sainath for fulfilling our wishes and for being with us always. With Sai's blessings, both my daughters could come from abroad and be with us with their children and also for curing my daughters eye problem. Thank you also Sainath for calling my children and the kids and my husband and me to Shirdi and giving us good darshan. With your blessings our holidays to temples in Kerala and other places went of without any hurdles. We could feel your presence with us everywhere. Thank you for reaching my daughters to their husbands safely. Thank you so much Saiprabhu. Please do not leave us, we hold on to your lotus feet. LaxmiDearest Baba, Million and millions of thanks to you, as my prayers were answered Sai. This Newsletter has become my spiritual flavor and vitamin each week. You are the only one of mine to be with me all the time and help me out in all the difficult moment. Please accept my sincere thanks Sai by healing my brother who was in ill mental condition and do hope that you will find out the culprit too who had done this to him. I hope and expect that he will totally improve. Please be with him and guide him as you have been doing for all of us Baba. SantoshThank you for sending me the Sai Vichaar regularly. It is very interesting, informative and invokes devotion in Sai devotees and also helps us to share our views with other devotees. Sai Baba I and my family are grateful to you for all the good things you have given us in our life and for fulfilling our good wishes. Baba, please give us peace of mind, good character, discipline, manners, good thoughts, good knowledge, luck, success and wealth. Please continue to protect us and bless us in our lives. DevoteeSaibaba, on Jan 2 2009, I lost my dear father. He didn't suffer though the doctors did tell us he would. I am glad my dad is with you Baba, bless him and protect him. He was the best father, husband and grandfather. I had written earlier for all to pray for my dad not to suffer. His leukemia was in the transition period when he left us in about five hours once we knew his condition was critical. He left with no pain and I wanted to thank all for their prayers. PRAYER CLUB: Sai DevoteeYou know what we are going through with my son's marriage issue. Please help me to resolve this problem smoothly so that my family remains united and we don't have to live rest of our lives in despair & disappointment. Please show us a suitable alliance according to our needs so that all of us can be happy. My son is the only child we have. You know it Baba. This problem is affecting my responsibilities at my work and I'm scared I'll be making mistakes which jeopardize the business. Please give me strength to go through this & help to resolve it. Thank you very much for everything you are doing for us Baba. Sai DevoteeSaibaba, by your grace my daughter became pregnant and successfully moved into the ninth month. She is in last week of pregnancy. As you are aware she is suffering from SLE and the Doctor is planning for caesarian operation on 21st January. Baba, please shower your blessings for everything to go smoothly and the mother and baby are healthy. Saideva, this is the time You to take out the disease from her body, which is possible only though your miracle. She suffered a lot already. She will visit Shirdi with the baby. DevoteeYou know what my problem is. I am not hearing any thing well now days from my mother's place. Please help my father to come out from his health problem. I pray you please help him to walk on his feet again. Help my sister to solve her problem. Why her husband is not helping her in any family matters. She is always in problems as her husband always threaten her he will leave the house forever. Please Baba, solve her problems and please help them to be compatible to each other. Devotee at the feet of BabaDear Baba, My friend Rufi has been suffering untold misery for a long time now. Humbly pray that with your merciful blessings he overcome all his difficult situations at work and personally at the earliest. Sai devoteeDear sai, you have always protected me in every step of my life and protected my family also. My husband is in IT and I am also working. My husband and myself, we are in tension of losing our jobs due to downfall in IT market. Please save us, we are entirely dependent on you. Thank you. VijayaDear Sadguru Baba,please help me out of this financial trouble. My family needs your help. Help my brother settle down in life and help my whole entire family to be happy without any worries. You know everything .So please help us VenkyDear Sri Sai Baba, Please help me get good job and Green Card as soon as possible. You helped in each and every step of my life. With your blessings, I know I can get good job very soon. I am waiting for your Ashirvad. DevoteeSaideva! as You are aware that the operation will be performed shortly. Please give her a healthy baby and shower your blessings on both the mother and baby. Baba! take out the disease from my daghters system . Give mother and baby good health. They will come to Shirdi. My daughter has already suffered a lot ,may be because of my sins. DevoteeFather please help me get job and start working very fast in the IT industry and please help me get married to Anupama and live happily with mom, dad and her. EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES: A Sai DaughterDear Sai Baba, I am terribly sorry for the delayed posting of this message. It happened back in 2005 on the "Boghi day"(day before Pongal) while I was reading my last Pasuram of the Tirupavai, I got a call that my mom has fallen down . We were having a terrible ice rain storm that day and my mom was going to her work. I quickly ran down stairs to find her crying in pain and she was unable to stand. She told me that when she fell down nobody came to help her except for an African American school kid who was passing by. He immediately called us and also tried to help my mother stand. A cop then approached us and called an ambulance and by looking at my mom told us that she might have broken multiple ribs and back bone. I almost had a heart attack and started to cry but controlled as I did not want to panic my mother. I instantly prayed to Baba that if she if fine I will post it in this newsletter. Much to my surprise the doctor who examined her told us that she only had a muscle tear and would require rest and some heavy doses of Tylenol. She took rest for about a week or two, I kept giving her udhi mixed in water and she gradually improved and was back to her normal routine life. I am so thankful and grateful to my mother Sai and at the same time very shameful for not writing this for so long. QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: "He never emulated others in any way, nor asked others to have something done for Him. For Him, Who saw the Lord in all movable and immovable things of this world, humility was the most proper thing. None He disregarded or disrespected; for He saw Narayan (Lord) in all beings, He never said, "I am God," but that He was a humble servant and He always remembered Him and always uttered - "Allah Malik" (God is the sole proprietor or Owner)".-Sri Sai Satchairtha QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Q. Please read below A. by Havovi Medora Q. Sri Sai said, "Come what may, leave not, but stick to your Bolster (support, i.e. Guru) and ever remain steady, always at-one-ment (in union) with him." How does a Sai devotee live by the above words from Baba? A. Yes we have to stick to our faith it is of no use to hop from temple to temple feeling that if one fails we can try another -I personally feel that once you have found Sai Baba you have found your peace as the famous lines in the book say when Somadev Swami saw Sai "THAT IS OUR ABODE AND PLACE OF REST WHERE THE MIND IS BOTH PLEASED AND CHARMED" just looking at Baba he was transfixed as he saw GOD in all his glory. Q. Please read below A. by Manav Sharma Question: Sri Sai said, "Come what may, leave not, but stick to your Bolster (support, i.e. Guru) and ever remain steady, always at-one-ment (in union) with him." How does a Sai devotee live by the above words from Baba? Answer: Baba said this to Bhakta Pant who was devotee of another Guru and had a fit during Baba darshna. By saying this Baba confirmed to him that do not deviate and follow your Guru. Baba has said at many instances that all saints are same and they work in unison. Many such incidents have been quoted in Sai Satcharita. The meaning out of this incident is that one should have complete faith and devotion in his Guru. Guru only can guide the devotee to right path and ward of their troubles. 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. Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MNSri 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. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please visit the mandir website www.hamaresai.org or call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information. 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. 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. 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 Mandir, Dulles, VAShirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please visit the mandir website www.shirdisaimandir.org or call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information. Shirdi Sai Mandir, TorontoShirdi Sai Mandir Toronto is open from 7am to 9pm for darshan. Extended hours on thursdays and saturdays. For more information, program schedule or directions please call 647-444-4724 FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD: In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember the global nature of Sai Vichaar readership. Therefore, the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership will be more rewarding and fulfilling. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately. 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. The "Question of the week" for this week is Q. Sri Sai said, "Come what may, leave not, but stick to your Bolster (support, i.e. Guru) and ever remain steady, always at-one-ment (in union) with him." How does a Sai devotee live by the above words from 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 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 1998-2009 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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