SADHANA and GURU

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SADHANA - GURU

(Sai's Former Guru's Mahima)

175. Baba himself described how he met his guru: Once myself and three

others were studying our Pothi, Puran and other works and discussed how we were

to get realisation.

One said we should depend on ourselves (and not on a guru) for Gita says raise

your self.

A second said the main thing is to make the mind self-controlled, free

from thoughts and doubts. It is we who are in everything, everywhere.

A Third.: The form (i.e. in phenomena) is ever changing. The formless is

unchanging. So we must always be making Vichara i.e., distinguishing between

Nitya and Anitya.

The fourth (S.B.) disliked bookish knowledge, " Let is do our prescribed duty, "

he said, " and surrender our body, speech and life to a guru, who is all

pervading. Faith in him is the thing needful.

As we rambled through the forest, we met a Vanajari (a caste that

carried salt, grain etc.) who asked us " where are you going in this heat into

the forest? " We gave no direct reply. He kindly warned us from getting into the

trackless woods-and that needlessly. He bade us share his food.

We disdained his advice and marched on.

But in that vast and dense wood, we lost our way

That man met us again and said that by relying on our own cleverness, we had got

into a wrong way and that a guiding finger is needed to show the way. " Do not

despise offers of food. Such offers ate auspicious signs of success in one's

endeavor, " he said and he again invited us to take food with him. Again we

declined it and went away. I soon felt hungry and I went and accepted a bit of

bread and ate it and drank some water.

The Guru came then and said, " What was your dispute? " and I told him all our

talk. The others left him and did not care for him. But I reverently bowed to

him. Then he took me to a well tied up my legs with a rope, and suspended me,

head downwards, from a tree by a side of the well. My head was about three feet

off the water, which I could not reach. And my guru left me there and went

away-God knows where. He returned after 4 or 5 hours and asked me how I fared.

" In great bliss was my time passed " -! answered.

The Guru, mightily pleased with me, drew me near him, passed his

palm over my head and body and spoke to me tender words dripping with love, and

he put me into his school -where I entirely forgot my father and mother and all

attachments and desires.

I loved to gaze at him. If he were not there to see. I would not like to have

eyes at all. I did not wish to go back. I forgot all other things but the Guru.

My life was concentrated in my sight and my sight in him.

That was the object of my meditation. In silence, I bowed.

Meaning i.e., Realisation flashed upon me, of itself without effort or

study-purely by his grace.

Guru's grace is our only sadhana. JNANA comes as experience (or in its

wake).

 

(Source Sai Baba Charters and Sayings)

http://www.saileelas.org/books/babasayings.htm