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Sai Vichaar Sep 03, 2009 Volume 12, Issue 17 (In its twelfth year of publication) 01.Feature of the Week 02.Contributed Article 03.Experiences of Devotees 04.Devotees Say 05.Sai Activities 06.Prayer Club 07.Quote of the Week 08.Question of the Week 09.Subscribe to Sai Vichaar 10.Email Newsletter to a friend 11.Submit Articles to Sai Vichaar 12.Un-Subscribe Sai Vichaar 13.From the Editor's Keyboard 14.Back Issues 15.Disclaimer From the Editor's Keyboard... Sai Vichaar has learnt that several have received their weekly email into their unwanted email folder due to the email filter function of the respective email providers. Please check your email folders before deleting to make sure Sai Vichaar is not delivered into Spam mail. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. 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. Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. A Sai devotee suggested the The "Question of the week" for this week as,, Q.How does a Sai devotee stay grounded amidst the swell of spiritual ego? Humbly Yours, The Editor
Disclaimer Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadhguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same. Sai Vichaar team or saibaba.org is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.
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 Feature
of the week: As close as it gets
Is Sai Baba just a saint and none more? Is he just Guru, a sadhu, a mendicant that lived a century ago in Shirdi? People then, and now, have the confounded perception that Baba was just an ordinary mortal that perhaps was a saadhaka and none more. Is Sai Baba like Lord Krishna or Rama? Grandiose vision of God as explicitly described in religions does in fact confound the man from seeing God in simple things. Such as the begging fakir that roamed in the streets of Shirdi. With a little bit of faith and devotion, it is possible to see right through the Saint, the Universe that the Saint Himself represents! Shri Sai Satcharithaamritha depicts such events. Somdev had to eat the humble pie, the greedy Ramdasi, and even Dasganu maharaj who thought Pandharpur is several koss away, while Sainath made the poet momentarily realize that all pilgrimage is at His feet! Acharya E Bharadwaja eloquently describes one aspect of God in his great work, "Sai Baba the Master" as follows: "Everything is God's creation, and God's own. Yet He possesses nothing and covets nothing. On the other hand He lavishes all that is His on His creatures, though only a few can receive what he gives. Others have eyes but do not see; they have ears but do not hear; they have understanding yet do not consider. The greatness of a saint or prophet depends on how near he is to this aspect of God. And such God-men arise amidst us only to tell us to be perfect "even as the Father in heaven is perfect. Contributed
Article: Living Sadguru When faith wavers, the mind goes after a tangible physical experience. It becomes very necessary to long for His presence in our lives, His assurances for our well-being. It is natural. It is important to rely on our patience at such instances. "I shall speak from my tomb", said Sadguru Sainath. There are also certain type of followers who need a grander vision of the Lord. They prefer to see Him in the most physical state. Having lost the patience to realize that Sadguru is the embodiment of the spirit that can be realized anywhere, anytime, they bring upon themselves unnecessary burdens. This is not a good sign of spiritual progress. However, even great realized souls have gone through this stage. But, just like any intense quest is answered, Guru leads such souls to the answer in the most unseeming way. Let us see one such experience narrated by Acharya Bharadwaja in his, "Sree Guru Charitha": Once I visited Sri Ma Anandamayi at Naimisharanya during Bhagavat Saptah. At one of the daily expositions of the holy text, the revered speaker Sri Akhandananda Saraswathi remarked that only a living Sadguru could lead his devotee to self-realization and that a Sadguru who had cast off his body, however great he might be, can only fulfil prayers for one's material good. He spoke in Hindi which I could only understand but cannot speak and so I could not discuss with him. As Sai Baba was no longer available to me in flesh and blood, I wondered what I should do, but had no chance to get the clarification. After a few months, I visited Shirdi on a proposed stay of seven days. I wished to obtain Sai Baba's guidance and clarification in this matter. On the second day, I was very strongly impelled to visit my old student who was working in Pune. It was quite unusual as I never visited anyone of my friends or kinsfolk. I had to yield to the impulse and I reached Pune. My friend was away at the office. So I left my bag in his house and wet out, wishing to spend the time in going round the city till my friend's return. Quite accidentally, I enquired at a wayside florist whether there was any great saint worth visiting in Pune. The shop-keeper directed me to visit Sree Gulavani Maharaj, a direct disciple of Sree Vasudevananda Saraswathi. As soon as I entered the Muth (monastery), the aged saint greeted me saying, "Oh! The child of Sai Baba has come!". I at once realized that I could get a reliable clarification for my problem from him. He heard my question and said, "What that learned speaker said is true of only those who attained enlightenment through their efforts. But Sai Baba of Shirdi is not such one. He is the Avatar of Lord Dattatreya. He manifests himself to his worthy devotees even today in his physical form and guides them. You are on the right track. Go ahead". At once I realized that Sai Baba had blessed me with the solution to my question. (Source: "The Life and Teachings of Saibaba of Shirdi" by Antonio Rigopoulos)
Devotee My right ear was bothering me as if there was some water accumilation there.(but there was nothing there). I used the earbuds but I used it gently . All of a sudden I started hearing a consistent beeping noice -day and night with which I became so restless. It was so constant and annoying and I could not concentrate on anything. I was worried to go to doctors since they might ask me to do xray, scanning etc. I had for two days nonstop. I did not know what to do. I believe in Baba but I want to be honest here, because my belief is sometimes like roller coaster. But then I stood in front of his huge picture that night and prayed honestly that he is the only saver for me and took udi (that I got from temple, I live in Pittsburgh,PA) I spread it through my right ear hoping that it would help me and went to bed. When I woke up next day morning I was completely out of that 'annoying noise' I was so surprised and happy that not only my ear got corrected and for sure I know that Baba is on my side. With all this I can say only one thing , though we might not feel his presence all the time(some are so blessed that they could) I am sure he is watching us and will rescue us when there is a real need and improve our bakthi towards him. Thanks Devotee Devotee Devotee Quotation of
the Week: Q. How does a Sai devotee stay grounded amidst the swell of spiritual ego? A. Your answer can go here
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