Sai Vichaar for Thursday , April 10, 2008

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Sai Vichaarwww.saibaba.org Thursday , April 10, 2008 :: Volume 10, Issue 48 (In its tenth 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 WEEKCONTRIBUTED ARTICLEDEVOTEES SAYPRAYER CLUBEXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEESQUOTATION OF THE WEEKQUESTION OF THE WEEKSAI ACTIVITIESFROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARDFEATURE OF THE WEEK: Who is God or who is the Sadguru?This is a question on which people generally ponder particularly the devotees of Baba. Through the medium of books, mantras, temple priests, Pundits and Saints, they try to get the answer. Hinduism proclaims that through Karmayoga, Gyanyoga, Baktiyoga and Raja Yoga, God can be realised and be understood through a process of spiritual evolution. More the pain and misery in society, more the people seek for divine compassion. Some people approach the Mantrics, Tantrics and Astrologers to understand their future. Taking the advantage of this situation some people are offering new pseudo-religious solutions and giving wide publicity to attract simpletons. Some have gone on advertisements to say that they can rouse the 'Kundalini' Shakti of anyone immediately. Others are selling various emulates like items which they proclaim can solve the intended human problems and ensure spiritual evolution rather easily. Without the least understanding about the lofty, difficult and sadhana-based path of Hindu yoga Sastras, some people are deceiving the people with self-created concepts some of which are adopted from Indian and Western Occult vocabulary. All the great saints had always warned people to be careful about such characters. Those who come under the influence of such people waste a lot of precious time and money. Even when such knowledge about God had not been evolved in mind, human beings did exist in the Gods creation. They were experiencing God at the level of their consciousness and experience, even though human language had not been created to codify these. Surely the men of the Stone Age must have experienced God in them as much as the man of the Iron Age. The people of Mohenzodaro must have experienced God in a certain a way as the Aryan who tried to experience Him through Yagnyas and rituals. Even today simple human beings are experiencing God at the level of their perception, even though they do-not have the language to describe their divine experiences.All this indicates just one thing that God is what each person is experiences. When we evolve tomorrow, we will perceive and experience Him differently. Anyone who has achieved some supernatural powers through Yoga practices will experience Him in yet another form. All other knowledge on God gained through here-say, or reading of books etc. can be termed as 'relative knowledge', because it is not experienced. Since 'relative knowledge' is not the real knowledge, it is not of that much benefit till 'direct knowledge' is gained. The lives of the saints like Kabir, Shri Sainath and Nanak etc. became simple and pure because they had direct experience of God. It is true that all rivers taking different paths, straight or crooked will ultimately meet the Sea. Similarly all the paths that human beings adopt will ultimately lead to God. But will a traveler moving through a crooked, difficult and long journey reach the destiny easily and safely, when moving with a group of thugs and cheaters? There is every possibility that the will be waylaid and yet more dangerous are the chances of his being robbed by the thugs both of his money and time. Since such people know the act of attracting the travelers, there is a great chance that spiritual evolution will be impeded. Hence a true guide is needed. We worship our Sadguru Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi because, even after leaving His human form this great divine soul gives us some kinds of divine experience and bliss. He came only to give and nothing to take.FEATURE OF THE WEEK: continued....If we closely study the life history of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba during his stay at Shirdi for nearly sixty years it will become evident that he continues to give the benefits on his devotees just as he used to do when in Shirdi in a physical form. Devotees of Baba when constructing temples or doing any work in his cause or name should not be proud of their doer-ship as the faith and strength to carry on such activities are given by Baba only. The relation of the Sadguru with His devotees is not limited to one life but does spread over a number of lives. When a human being gets attracted towards the Sadguru, one thing is sure that he must have accumulated lots of merits in his previous lives. The most important role of the Sadguru lies in his great vision to change the whole world into a family on this earth. Experience has shown that those people who render maximum possible help to others and who have created Sai organizations, are the best recipients of Baba's blessings, if they have done so without seeking any returns. Shri Das Guru Maharaj spread the name Shri Sai in the nooks and corners of India, Kakasaheb Dixit contributed his best in forming the Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan as it is known today and brought harmony among people through the Sai Leela magazine which he started. Shyama used to take part in function arranged by many organizations/individuals on behalf of Baba, Mahasapati and Tatya Kote Patel rendered immense service to Baba being with Him always, and Shri Anna Saheb Davolkar, spread the name of Baba throughout the globe through his magnificent creation called "Shri Sai Satcharitra".The Sai devotees take the names of these people today, notwithstanding the fact that some of them did not have any formal education or degree. But those unfortunate souls who even when working at Baba's temple and getting the blessings of Baba are not able to clear the mental cobwebs of negative thinking surely create differences among the devotees and disturb the pious vibration in the temples. Some of them are more demonstrative in their Bhakti to improve others while nourishing ill feelings towards others. They will get inner happiness only if they correctly follow the path of Baba as reflected in "Shri Sai Satcharitra". I may advice that people should focus their thoughts on Baba and His sayings as depicted in "Shri Sai Satcharitra" instead of running around here and there in search of God or for the evolution of their soul. Under all conditions of happiness and unhappiness they should always remember and depend on Baba as advised by Him. If they continue to do so with faith and concentration slowly the deeper inner knowledge about Baba will be revealed and they will

receive the divine experiences. Only then their contribution to the human welfare will be distinctive and others will learn from them. A candle will light many other candles. Om Shri Sai.

A message from Shri C. B. Satpathy.CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Stones and DiamondsTo 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 by Sai Vichaar team)DEVOTEES SAY: ShobhanaOm Sai Ram. My family had a splendid chance by grace of Shri Sai to be in Shirdi on March 5th and 6th 2008. March 6th was our son's fifth birthday and we wanted to take blessings from God. We reached Shirdi on March 5th afternoon. We were hungry and thought of eating something. We got into two to three hotels and whatever we asked for was unavailable. I felt like having Sabudana Kichadi but did not get that too anywhere. We then had some guavas and bowed happily at Sai's feet. Next day, we attended the Madhyana aarti happily and got into the queue of Prasadalay for the first time. We were served Sabudana Kichadi that day as Prasad and I ate the same to my hearts content. In front of me while eating the same was Shri Sai and Sai Samarth's photo. I really felt as though Sai knew my desire of having the same previous day and satisfied the same very next day. While eating, I said this to my husband who nodded happily. Sure Sai fulfills all our chaste desire.VenkatBaba I would like to thank you for making my relationship with my wife and sister normal. Please keep on guiding us at every point in our life.HariharanThanks for everything. By your grace, the child's x-ray report has come normal. Please bless him to grow with devotion. Thanks Baba for helping us and being always with us and guiding us. Help us to be firm on this path of devotion.PragnaThe answer to the Question of the Week by Madhumoorti was very informative and precise, it made me think in a different light and all the quotes used in the small paragraph were more than enough to convey the deeper meaning. Thanks for sharing them.ZenobiaOm Sri Satchidanand Satguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai! Thank you Saibaba for having blessed my granddaughter with a speedy recovery and having discharged her from the hospital. As promised I am posting this in Sai Vichaar as token of appreciation and thanks.

DiwakarI had been good at studies, but my biggest hurdle in my career was my inability to express myself during interviews. Last year I appeared for an interview for admission in a prestigious management institute. But my performance in interview was so poor I felt very bad and helpless. After that, I visited Sai baba temple at Delhi. This year again I appeared for same interview. Before interview, I told Baba that getting selected does not matter but I should not be feeling down after my performance. Surprisingly by Baba's blessing in spite of my mania for interview I fared well. On Thursday, I got the news of my selection. This became possible only and only by the grace of my Sai baba. Baba, please do not leave me alone even for a minute.PRAYER CLUB: Sai devoteeBaba, you only can save my sister who is badly suffering with breast cancer. Please give her good health and long life. Please show mercy on her and we have good faith in You and you only can save her. Please understand Baba, please do the miracle. SheebaI have been down with cold, cough and infections constantly. Recently I got a very bad flu and am not seeming to recover fully. Major thing is I have lost my sense of smell and taste completely. This has never happened to me previously. It's strange and I feel depressed and like being in a bubble with not able to smell fresh air or taste my food.I have lost my appetite and feel like half dead. I hear from many people this happens permenantly because of the virus.This is very discouraging. Please devotees take a moment and pray for me because Baba only can help me out of trouble. Baba I feel very desperate and down. Please give me recovery soon Baba. I fall at Your lotus feet. Om Sai Sri Sai Jai Jai Sai!!!

Sai devoteeSai, I pray in Your lotus feet. Please bring us out of this confusion in our life. You know my husband has heart problem we are confused weather or not to get him operated. Please Sai show us the right way. I need your help Baba . Please bless my husband. MalaBaba, I leave everything to You. You know my prayers, my wishes but do what is right for me. Baba, please bless me and my family and be with me always. Bless my son that he never forgets You and always remember Your lotus feet. Sai devoteeSairam, please bless me a home, please bless me someone who is loving and caring. It is not possible now to live with other people .You know I lost my parents, I don't have anyone to support me. Now I only believe in You, I beg you from bottom of my heart, please don't let me down my Lord.

A devoteeSai, please bless me and my family members. Be always with us and please make all my sufferings disappear since I am facing a lot of problems, you know very well Baba. Bless my husband with good health. Because of his health problem I am facing everything alone and I am tired of life. What to do, I have to follow Your path of Saburi. Baba, now please give me and my family all the happiness. Do miracle so that my husband should get two years job extention.MeenakshiBaba bless my brother to get peace of mind in his life. He is suffering a lot in his personal life. He is not happy in his personal life. Please Baba bless him with a peace of mind. He should get a house seperately and he should live happily with his wife. Please Baba bless him.Sai devoteeOm Sai Ram. Last week I attended one interview, so please bless me to get that job and financial support. I want everyone to be happy and at the same time to help others. So bless everyone.

A devoteeYou know whatever I am going through in my life. Please take care of it. I am disheartened and discouraged. I do not know how much sorrows I have to take in my life. Please help me Deva and You put everybody on the right track. Please put him also on the right path. I am surrendering at Your lotus feet. Sai Ram.AkashBaba we are facing many problems like financially and health. Baba we know You are everywhere in my house. We are very faithful to Your grace. Baba, if any misundestanding between us please forgive our fault.

AjitBaba, I know you are always there with your devotees, but I am always thinking about everything how things will get settlled in life. I bought a new house but still some payment is pending for builder, I got a nice job but always thinking how will I get enough money. Baba I want to start my own new business, please help me for the same and the money also to be arranged for house please help me. Baba please bless me and family also. Baba please bless my daughter also she is in UKG this year, she should clear her exam this year. Your blessings are very important and You also know that, Baba please make me a respected businessman in society and friends. Baba, please bless me and my family always.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES: RimpaLast year my son got a very high fever of 104F, I tried all means to reduce the fever, but it was rising very fast. We got scared and called the paramedics, the fever was so high that my son got a seizure and he was not responding. The paramedic guys were trying to revive my son and at the same time trying to calm me and my husband, I gave my son to these people and sat near Baba's picture and Baba's idol on my hand, in that moment I felt I lost everything, I prayed to Baba and told him to take every material things I have, just return my son. The paramedics gave my son oxygen and took him in an ambulance. We spent the night in the hospital, I was reading Sai Satcharitra, and slowly my son's body temperature came down. He was looking better. I thanked the paramedics from the bottom of my heart, because they were like Baba had send them to me, they knew exactly what to do. Later one of those people told me he had a similar situation with his son. This is all due to Baba's miracle; he will always listen to his devotee's prayers. With this incident Baba was trying to tell me what matters most in life, it is our family, the fact that we are healthy and breathing, isn't that the most important thing? Bow to Shri Sai, Peace be to all.SrinivasanHaving been posted to Hyderabad for 20 months, my roommate, who works as General Manager of a renowned Mumbai based company, was yearning to get himself transferred back to Chennai. Whenever, there were two or more consecutive holidays, he would fly back to Chennai to be with his family members and stay with them as long as possible. In December last year, I suggested to my roommate to sincerely pray to Baba for his transfer and take a solemn pledge that he would visit Shirdi at the earliest possible date. Accordingly, a few days later, I accompanied him to Shirdi for a day. He was not much of a Baba devotee. I told him that Baba would bestow His beneficence on him if he prayed with single-minded devotion. Subsequently, I told him that his transfer back to Chennai would take place before end of March 2008. I advised him, meanwhile, to plead with his company management to arrange his relocation to Chennai on health grounds. He said, it would be a miracle if he were relocated to Chennai by the end of March. I however maintained my earlier statement that his transfer would be effected as predicted by me. Meanwhile, he went on sick leave to stay with his family members and returned in the third week of March. To our delight, immediately after my roommate's return to Hyderabad, he received an official order from his management in the fourth week of March that effective 1st April 2008, his services were relocated to Chennai. I have personally experienced that Baba comes to the rescue of his true devotees in their distress in uncanny ways. In the past issues of Sai Vichaar I have narrated a couple of the inscrutable events that I had experienced myself over the last two years.QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: "The four sadhanas and the six sastras are not necessary. Just have complete trust in your guru: it is enough".-Shri Sai BabaQUESTION OF THE WEEK: Q. Question of the week is given below.....A. by GeetikaQ. How can we, the devotees of Sai Baba, ensure that our merits and demerits both are worked out completely so that we get our deliverance and become free?

A. The best way is submitting all merits to lord Sai and asking sorry for all the sins done by us even for those which are unknown to us. One should spell his name whenever one is free.SAI ACTIVITIES: Sri Ramanavami celebrations in Chicago, USASri Ramanavami and Urs festival celebrations are the first major celebration of the year for Shirdi Sai devotees. The tradition started in 1910 and continues each year. Shirdi Sai temple, Chicago will be celebrating the event for three days starting from Friday, April 11th to Sunday, April 13th. The program comprises of Aartis, Maha Abhishek, Homam, Palki procession, Satcharitra parayan, bhajans and much more. For complete details please call 847-931-4058.Sri Ramanavami Celebrations, Minneapolis, MNSri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN celebrates Sri Ramanavami on Sunday, April 13, 2008 at the mandir. The daily program includes Sri Saibaba traditional arathis, Sri SeethaRama Kalyanam at 10 AM with devotees participation, Hanuman chalisa parayana, Sri Saibaba Satsang, Sri Sainaama Jap, and Sri Sai Parayana. Please contact Pandit ji at 612-789-7729 for more details.Sri Ramnavami celebrations in Sydney, AustraliaShree Shirdi Sai Mandir invites you to with family and friends to join Shree Ram Navami celebrations on April 12th, 13th and 14th at 420 Liverpool Road, Strathfield South, NSW 2136, Australia. For detailed programme or Sansthan's activities, please contact Sansthan Info-Line at 0500 524 724.Shri Ramnavami Celebrations at The Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto, CanadaShri Ramnavami shall be celebrated at Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto on Sunday April 13th, 2008 from 7:00 am onwards. Day long festivities include all four aartis, abhishek, havan, puja, celebration of Lord Rama's birth at noon, children's activities, palki ceremony, bhajans and naam sankirtan. Mahaprasad shall be offered after all aartis. For details, please visit www.theshirdisaimandir.ca or call 647-444-4724.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.FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD: Sai devotees posting prayer request are requested to state their needs briefly and be specific about their prayer needs. This will help with good use of space and allows more requests to be posted every week. A Sai devotee suggested the "Question of the week" for this week as follows: Chapter VIII of Shri Sai Satcharita says, "Those souls whose merits preponderate, go to heaven and live there till they enjoy the fruits of their actions and when this is done, they are cast down; while those souls, whose demerits preponderate go to hell and suffer the consequences of their misdeeds for as long as they deserve it. When their merits and demerits balance each other, they are born on earth as human beings and are given a chance to work out their salvation. Ultimately, when their merits and demerits both are worked out completely, they get their deliverance and become free." This quote by Hemadpant (as inspired by Baba) means that since we are born as human beings, our merits and demerits balance each other and we should concentrate on working out our salvation. Q. How can we, the devotees of Sai Baba, ensure that our merits and demerits both are worked out completely so that we get our deliverance and become free?

Humbly Yours,The EditorABOUT 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, or 3. 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 webmasterFrom and Editor:Shirdi Sai Baba Web SiteShirdi Sai Baba Sanstha(A non-profit organization)Mail:12N950 State Route 47 Hampshire, IL 60140, USAEmailmaildropPhone847-931-4058Fax847-931-4066© Copyright 1998-2006 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.