Message for the week.

March 27, 2008

Sairam,

May BABA's blessings shine upon each one of us on this Thursday. BABA bless us and listen to our prayers.

What does BABA want?

Ever considered this question. We go to HIM asking HIM to fulfil our wishes, desires but we never give a thought - what does BABA want in exchange from us, HIS children/devotees/followers whom HE nurtures with care, love, and concern. Is it not our duty to care for our Mother, and Her feelings when She has so lovingly looked after us all these years. BABA our mother has been looking after us through births. So it becomes our duty to give HIM what HE wants. BABA, our SaiMaa wants unflinching love, faith, and devotion. He wants us to thank HIM, and love HIM. He wants us to forget our worries and depend on HIM and trust HIM. He does not want riches. No amount of money you give in donation is going to fill the coffers of the Master of this universe. His coffers are filled enough to feed us for next million generations. He is fakir, riches and money He has no care for. All HE cares is for your trust. He is ready to carry the burden of this life, so why go and ask HIM for meagre things. Remember one thing, BABA wants us to leave attachment towards materialistic things, all HE wants is for us to develop attachment towards HIM and remember HIM with love and gratitude. When BABA asked for Dakshina, not many understood what HE wanted, people assumed it was money the mad Fakir was after. But very few devote followers knew that His words and His commands for dakshina went far beyond the materialism and blessed were such people who understood HIS teachings and philosophies. Do we show our gratitude towards HIM. Just think how you felt when someone whom you helped did not turn back and said thank you to you, or ignored you after their work or need was met through you. Do you not feel disgusted? If all humans were sensitive enough towards this feeling and show gratitude for concern, care and help given then world would have been a better place. BABA through HIS teachings in Satcharita wants us to know the importance of this virtue. Gratitude can end wars, make enemies friends. Let us begin by showing gratitude towards HIM For bringing us closer to HIM in this birth. Gratitude that today you and I are able to sit in front of a PC and read this mail. Gratitude for all those things whch we have and some unfortunate people are missing in their life. Perhaps they did not show gratitude in their previous life then they suffer this birth. Let us recognise BABA's presence in our life and offer HIM Dakshina of our love, trust and gratitude for HE has taken us into HIS fold. Here is the message for the week...

"

Dakshina - Mimansa Now we shall close this Chapter with a few remarks about Dakshina. It is a well-known fact that Baba always asked for Dakshina from people who went to see Him. Somebody may ask a question, "If Baba was a Fakir and perfectly non-attached, why should he ask for Dakshina and care for money?" We shall consider this question broadly now. First for a long time, Baba did not accept anything. He stored burnt matches and filled His pocket with them. He never asked anything from anybody--whether he be a devotee or otherwise. If anybody placed before Him a pice or two, He purchased oil or tobacco. He was fond of tobacco, for He always smoked a bidi or Chilim (an earthen pipe). Then some persons thought that they could not see the Saints empty-handed, and they, therefore, placed some copper coins before Baba. If a pice was placed before Him. He used to pocket it; if it was a two pice coin, it was returned immediately. Then after Baba's fame had spread far and wide, people began to flock in numbers; and Baba began to ask Dakshina from them. It is said in the Shruti (veda) that Puja of the Gods is not complete, unless a golden coin was offered. If a coin was necessary in the Puja of the Gods, why should it be not so in the Puja of the Saints also? Ultimately, the Shastras laid it down that, when one goes to see God, King, Saint or Guru, he should not go empty-handed. He should offer something, preferably coin or money. In this connection we may notice the precepts recommended by the Upanishads. The Brihadaranyak Upanishad says that the Lord Prajapati advised the Gods, men and demons by one letter "Da". The Gods understood by this letter that they should practice (1) "Dama" i.e. self-control; the men thought or understood that they should practice (2) "Dana" i.e. charity; the demons understood that they should practice (3) "Daya" i.e. compassion. To men Charity or giving was recommended. The teacher in the Taittiriya Upanishad exhorts his pupils to practise charity and other virtues. Regarding charity he says, "Give with faith, give with magnanimity, i.e. liberally, give with modesty, with awe and with sympathy. In order to teach the devotees the lesson of charity and to remove their attachment to money and thus to purify their minds, Baba extracted Dakshina from them; but there was this peculiarity, as Baba said, that He had to give back hundred times more of what He received. There are many instances, in which this has happened. To quote an instance, Mr. Ganpatrao Bodas, the famous actor, says in his Marathi autobiography, that on Baba's pressing him often and often for Dakshina, he emptied his money-bag before Him. The result of this was, as Mr. Bodas says, that in later life he never lacked money, as it came to him abundantly. There were also secondary meanings of Dakshina, in many cases, in which Baba did not want any pecuniary amount. To quote two instances - (1) Baba asked Rs.15/- as Dakshina from Pro. G.G.Narke, who replied that he did not have even a pie. Then Baba said, "I know you have no money; but you are reading Yoga-Vashistha. Give Me Dakshina from that." Giving Dakshina in this case meant - `Deriving lessons from the book and lodging them in the heart where Baba resides'. (2) In the second case Baba asked a certain lady (Mrs. R. A. Tarkhad) to give Rs.6/- as Dakshina. The lady felt pained, as she had nothing to give. Then her husband explained to her that Baba wanted six inner enemies (lust, anger, avarice etc.) to be surrendered to Him. Baba agreed with this explanation. It is to be noted, that though Baba collected a lot of money by Dakshina, He would distribute the whole amount the same day, and the next morning He would become a poor Fakir as usual. When Baba took His Mahasamadhi, after receiving thousands and thousands of Rupees as Dakshina for about ten years, He had only a few Rupees in His possession. In short, Baba's main object in taking Dakshina, from His devotees was to teach them the lessons of Renunciation and Purification. " Chapter 14 Satcharita.

Humble pranams

Sairam

Anitha Kandukuri

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