Feature of the week: Spiritual Paradox

Every aspirant would like to believe that he or she has surrendered the self at the feet of Sadguru. A typical day for such an aspirant would start with the reminiscence of the Guru. However, it is more common to observe that a blissful day is marred by an incident, sometimes very small, and soon it is realized that one is far away from sadguru. What goes wrong? Spiritual progress is in a way a retreat; regression from the acquisitions the self has to become of. Acquisitions of every proportion, ranging from the material prosperity to the lesser visible attributes of self-respect, prejudice and pride. Resignation from the material acquisitions may be an apparent goal and task at hand for an aspirant. While the physical attributes of the material self may be gotten rid of by practice and preparation, the challenges in fighting the enemy within, requires Guru’s grace. One might forego the cravings of material pursuit, truthfully realize the temporary nature of worldly acquisitions, and even win past the shackles of attachment. However, this does not guarantee a freedom from the playfulness of Maya, the delusion. Somdev Swami may have renounced everything, but when he reached the shores of Shirdi and saw Sainath’s glory, his pride did not allow him to accept the greatness of the God who walked on earth! The power of Maya is such. One that was successful in physically arising above the bondage of attachment and material wealth, blinded by the ego, did not see the equanimity of Lord Sai. Eventually, blessed that he was, Somdev had the fortune of seeing Sai reveal Himself to him. Was Saibaba the begging fakir that allowed others to decorate Him with silk and perfume? Or is He the supreme Lord that took a morsel out of the most offensive appearing leper’s bowl? Does Baba have any "self" to Him? He is Antaryamin! Working towards material detachment, in thoughts as well as action, is a significant part of the regression process. Completion may not be possible unless Guru reveals Himself to the aspirant. Equanimity is the reward an aspirant earns from the saadhana. This is a secret the Guru, only Guru, can lead the aspirant to.
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Experiences of Devotees

MRK, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Dikshit getting saved from economic distress by Sai maharaj
At one time H.S. Dikshit- Kaka saheb Dikshit -- had economic problem. He had to discharge a debt of RS 30,000/- within four days and he did not have ready cash. Even in his dream, the creditor demanded money and Dikshit told him in that dream that his friend Sir Chamanlal will help him. When he woke up, he felt ashamed that he was stupid in not thinking of his lifesaver Saibaba but of another person. He stood before Baba’s picture weeping and prayed to Baba to excuse him for this indiscretion. He firmly had faith that Baba will certainly see him through this crisis. As the day for payment was nearing, his prayers and meditation to Baba increased. One day, the son of an old friend of Sri Dikshit came to him with RS 30,000/- and told him that he came to consult him about an investment. Dikshit explained his predicament and told him to lend it to him. Immediately, he gave the money, saying that he had highest faith in him and will gladly give it and Dikshit may return it any time he pleased. Dikshit discharged his debt with honor and was ever grateful to Baba for this miraculous help.

D. Sankaraiah, Hyderabad, India
Is Saibaba more alive now than when He was living?
"Was Baba living because He had the body, and was He dead because he left it. No! Baba is ever alive for He transcends both life and death." (SriSaiSatCharitra) There is a village named Ventrapaggada in Krishna Dist. of Andhra, India. There lived a pious couple by name Mr. NagaBhairava Venkata Ratnam and Mrs.NagaRatnamma. They had no issues. Once she developed skin allergy, which was troubling her. At that time, one Mr.PallavajjulaRamrao Headmaster who returned from Shirdi gave them Udi, Baba's photo and Locket. She applied Udi on her body. To their surprise, she got complete relief from the ailment. Now let us note Baba's words "I give what they want, so that they begin to want what I want to give" After solving their problems Baba attracted them towards him. All the three viz. Mrs. and Mr. VenkataRatnam and RamaRao gradually developed their place with Sai's blessing as a center of Sai activities. This incident took place in January'1940. I.e. 22 years after Baba’s Mahasamadhi. They started doing Sai Bhajans in their house. Huge crowds gathered and participated in Sai worship. Sainath in His mysterious way manifested Himself and blessed the participants. The pious couple wanted to pay a visit to Shirdi and left their village on 26.11.1940. On the way, they had to stay a night at Kopparagaon Rly Station. That night Sri Venkata Ratnam garu saw a marble Samadhi in a dream. He was surprised to see the same Samadhi at Shirdi on the next day. It was a clear indication that Baba was looking after His devotees. Fortunately H.H. B.V.N Swamiji, founder-President of All India Sai Samaj was camping at Shirdi at that time. Swamiji took personal interest and showed them Gurustan other places. He took them to Upasini Maharaj of Sakori, who blessed them. That night he had a dream in which a Brahman was giving a child. That dream came true on 19-09-1941 as a female child was born. They thought of building a mandhir at their village. It was completed and inaugurated by BVN Swamy on 22.01.1942. Sacred Dhuni also started with fire brought from Shirdi Dwarakamai. On 24.04.1943, it appears that was the first mandhir of Sai and the place was considered as second Shirdi. Is it not a confirmation of Baba's assurance, "I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body?

Alex
Sai Ram,
I would like to share with you my experiences with Baba this year. My visit was very different for me than last year (1998) in that it was really hard work. Baba blessed me with the most wonderful look on my first darshan, eminating pure divine love in a way I have never before seen. This look I took to mean with hindsight that all I was about to experience in the next few weeks was out of love and in the name of love.

I can't relate to you any experience of miracles, not physical anyway....but Baba taught me some very important things, that might me useful to you as well. You see, there's always the element of doubt when pondering baba, always, unless that is i stop thinking! Every time I have tried to rationalise Swami I have become confused and doubtful, despite the Miracles that I have personally experienced directly with Baba, and the BEYOND coincidence happenings that have occureed on more than one occasion. These miracles that I have expeienced have CLEARLY demonstrated Baba's omniprescence and omnipotence, and yet still I have doubted...so Im sure Stan that seeing as you haven't even been to see swami that surely you must hold much doubt also...and no one can blame you for that.

So how do I get over the doubting? How is it that now I have a deep seated faith in Sathya Sai Baba that is unshakable? Well, what Baba taught me to do was to learn to open up my feeling centres. I never really used my feelings much before, maybe because I shut those systems down after a pretty hard chilhood. But Baba simply refused to reveal himself to me in any other way. He seemed to demand that either I open my heart and feel the divine energies that he emits, or else I would get nothing at all. It has taken me a long time to be able to do this, and I'm learning all the time to do this more. You see, for me, I have been leading my life...making desicions etc.. based on rationale, on logic, on thought,...without really consulting, or at least listening to my heart. And you know what? My heart is always right, instantly, and an entirely new world is opening up to me though listening to the voice inside that is always present but often ignored. I have made life changing desicions lately, desicions that have confused me for years now..and I have made them because I felt that they were the right ones to make. And it has taken a lot of courage to base such important changes on just my feelings since I have thrown myself into the open, into the unknown....but I have faith that Baba is always helping to protect and support my highest good. And sometimes it is not always obvious in the moment what is for my highest good, especially when the going get rough...but always after the suffering has ended I see the outcome and know that it was all worth it in the end!

That really is the most important lesson that I have to share with you, because I am discovering that feeling is our link to our self, our inner god. A small poem that I wrote best describes this..

First there is feeling
that is truth
Then comes thought
that is choice
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Sai Activities

Sai Samsthan USA, Inc.
Sai Samsthan USA has scheduled New Year’s Eve celebrations at Shri Shirdi Saibaba Mandir, 27W 321 Butterfield Road, Warrenville, IL 60555. The Program on December 31, 1999 is as follows:

8:00 PM Abhishek, Archana
9:00 PM Bhajans and Kirtans
11:15 PM Namajap
12:00 AM Shej Arti
12:30 AM Maha Prasad

Please contact Shri Shirdi Saibaba Mandir at 630-653-4444 for more details.
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Devotees Say

Ravin Gnanasambandam, Ithaca, NY, USA, ravingnana@yahoo.com

Baba Prayer Center, Chennai, India has published a short booklet in Tamil on 108 Sai Namavali. The title of the booklet is "108 Potrigal". I have a few extra copies of the booklet. Sai devotee Ramesh from Lowell, MA has asked for Sai literature in Tamil. Please contact me at the above email address and I will be happy to send you a copy of the booklet.

Vishal
Hi, i consider myself as a good devotee of shirdi's sai baba..But lately I have been facing some abnormal problems in my study. I have not been doing well in any courses. There was one course that i was actually managing to get good marks but it also seems to giving me trouble. The fact is that I know in order to achieve something you really have to work hard for it. And i have been doing this all along. But the reason why i am so depressed is I am experiencing unfairness in marking. For instance, in my last assignment I have made sure that my work is perfect. I may have one or two erros, but I have had received very low marks. At the same time friends of mine whom I have actually helped(As sai baba would want me to) have got 100% percentage, eventhough the work they have handed deserve much low marks than mine. Aonther instance, in my other class I have also recieved a low marks, which absoulutely I dont deserve. I have attempt to talk to my prof about it but he would NOT even consider looking at my paper. At this time I have asked him to atleast give me a reason why he has taken so many marks off for the work that is if not correct but pretty close to correct answer. He has told me he would not want to tell me..

Now the reason why I am writing this to sai's devetoees to tell me why this is happening to me when i am doing my work and doing my sai pooja and following his order everyday. Now one may think that this is just a test by sai. But then it is affecting my life as i am my attention is leading towards bad things. And studying is most important thing in my life, due to the fact that it is a major dream and hope by my parents. One may think that I am over-reacting but you would have to be in my situation to understand my position. Breaking up my parents hope means a downhill for everybody in my family.

I hope the things go right in future..I dont want mercy from my god what I want is the fairness..............

Shuba Kamath
I was quite touched by your article. From what I read you are a very brave person and are following Sri Baba's two important lessons, faith and patience. It is better to be alive and do good in this society than to think of suicide. Everyone has problems, some are visible some are not. We all have to be strong and face them. Since we are in this "samsara" we have responsibilities, especially to our loved ones and family. You have a loving husband, a wonderful daughter and it looks like you have a good family and lots of friends. You also have a good heart, which is evident from your statement that says you want to take care of all of them. When you have all these good qualities why do you think negative thoughts? Put all the negative thoughts aside and ignore all the comments you get from others. I do not know the right chapter but in Sai SatCharita there is a chapter where one of Sai Baba's devotees is throwing mud and slandering the other. In that chapter Sai Baba mentions that those who are slandering others are actually doing good to the person being slandered. Every time they utter something bad about the person the slandered person gets purified. It is a beautiful Chapter. Every time I feel depressed or feel like I have no one who I can tell my problems to, I randomly open a chapter from the Satcharita and every time I get the right advice from Baba. Therefore have faith in Baba and continue with to live a good life and fill others lives with all the love you can give them.
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Question of the Week

"How does Baba define Advaitha ?"

Kishore Asthana
In reading the following, please note that the 'n' in brackets, i.e. (n) signifies a nasal sound (the dot over the hindi letter) like in 'ja'aoo(n).'
The essence of this poem, in English, also follows :

YAHI ADVAITYA HAI SAI(N) KA

Ram ramoo(n) ya Krishna kahoo(n)
ya Sai(n) sumiran bus ja'aoo(n)
tirath ghoomoo(n) idhar, udhar
ya man mei(n) Sai(n) sukh pa'aoo(n)
sa'arey pundya ek hai(n) bandhu
ja'an yay Sai(n) gun ga'aoo(n)

aur, phir, anant mei(n) :

ek hai sab, dooja na ko'ee
Sai(n) say samjhoo(n), samjha'aoo(n)
ann wo, ann-data wo hee
nit Sai(n) bhojan mai(n) kha'aoo(n)
aur chupkey say andar ja kar
swayam Sai(n) ban ja'aoo(n)
yahee advaitya hai Sai(n) ka

yahee advaitya hai Sai(n) ka
Sai(n) goonjay andar, ba'ahar
yay jug, yay jeevan sa'ara
sub bun ja'aye(n) Sai(n) mandar
usmay ho moorat Sai(n) ki
usmay dharti, sa'at samundar
usmay chchabi ho meri bhi
Sai(n) si, na koyee antar
yahee advaitya hai Sai(n) ka

yahee advaitya hai Sai(n) ka
tum bhi a'ao, Sai(n) pa'ao
Sai(n) madira mei(n) rum tum bhi
mujh sum Sai(n) gun ga'ao
aur phir, ho Sai(n) vileen
tum nij Sai(n) bun ja'ao
yahee advaitya hai Sai(n) ka ha'(n),
Yahee advaitya hai Sai(n) ka

We start with bhakti. There are various deities we worship. However, Sai(n) Baba showed that whoever you worshipped, it was Baba that you worshipped. There was no difference. That was his first lesson in non-duality - the first step of the ladder leading one to enlightenment. He said that eventually you must know your 'self'. "Find out who you are", he said. And, finding out who you are, you will discover that there is no difference between the subject and the object. Then, all is one. That is the final non-duality, the eventual advaitya.

In other words,
First you like Sai(n) Baba and worship him. He is separate from you and you love him as such. Then you realise that he is all-pervading. The entire world becomes forms of Baba. Even what you eat is Baba's form, received through Baba's grace. He is all, he gives all. Knowing this, you love everything. Then you realise that your 'self' is also a part of everything and, in the silence inside you, it dawns that you, too, are inseparable from Baba. Eventually, you become one with him. That is final non-duality, the enlightened advaitya.

"The Purpose of Miracles"

Havovi Medora
Someone once asked Baba whu he performed 'chamatkars'which is a Hindu term for 'magic'.Bab said I have to perform miracles in order for you to believe. Looking back over the centuries, all the Grand Masters had to perform miracles in order to get someones attention. Zoroaster cured the ailing horse of King Vishtaspha who was then the King of all the Persian Empire. He told Zoroaster if he could cure the horse who was so precious to him he would become a beliver. So incredibly it took a miracle of curing an animal to start the Zoroastrian religion. As with Jesus, Mohamed, Moses and all the other Grand Masters who had to perform miracles in order for man to believe. Man everywhere is a 'doubting Thomas' and needs to see and experience to bring about belief. It was a form of magic, but a miracle is 'divine magic'. Baba did exceptional things, once when he was sitting with a devotee, he suddenly thrust his hand into a live fire. When forcibly dragged back and asked why, he said that a wife of a blacksmith was working the bellows and forgettting a small child in her lap got up to answer the door. Baba in thrusting his arm into the fire saved the baby from its ill-fate. Like this he helped people with problems, worries, financial difficulties, raising the dead, healing the sick, making the blind see and the lame walk. He did it all, but my fellow devotees all over the world will agree with me when I say that Baba won his following not so much with his miracles but with his extreme love, compassion and pity that he had for all and that amazing smile that makes him the most lovable soul in our lives. Look at this miracle of Sai Vichaar which is bringing devotees together from all over the world , we are Hindus, Parsis, Muslims, Americans, Jews, African, Europeans , Australians all with that one powerful influence in our lives helping us to be better no matter what caste or creed. He instills his love and compassion in all of us and I always hope that when I walk the streets of Shirdi- that one day I will have the greatest honor and privilege to see this lovable figure come shuffling round the corner.
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Prayer Club

Padma
(Originally posted on Monday, November 29, 1999)
I request all the Baba devotees to pray for my husband. He is diagonsed to be having cancer in the throat. According to the attending doctors, he has to undergo two operations, one for the removal of the windpipe and another for providing for a passage for food. The first operation is scheduled for today (Monday) and the next one tomorrow. I leave everything to Baba. Let Him take care of my husband and save us.
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