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Sai Vichaar 01.Feature of the Week: The Perfect One 02.Devotees Say 03.Prayer Club 04.Sai Activities 05.Experiences of Devotees 06.Quotation of the Week 07.From the Editor's Keyboard 08.Submit your article to Sai Vichaar 09.Subscribe to Sai Vichaar 10.Disclaimer From the Editor's Keyboard... Devotees and readers, please refers to Sai activities section for details on the activities of Shirdi Sai Center, New York, and Sai Baba temple in Pittsburgh. For more information on Sai Nama Sankirthan in Thiruvannamalai, India, please contact sainama@yahoo.com. The most satisfying task for Sai Vichaar has been to bring to light various Sai Activities in the world. Sai Centers and organizations are requested to kindly use Sai Vichaar as a forum to highlight their activities and share their experiences. We have seen in several of our earlier discussions various similarities and differences amongst religions of the world. The beauty of Sai message may lie in its simplicity. Question of the week for this week is How does Sai philosophy differ from organized religions? Humbly yours, The Editor
Disclaimer 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 organization is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.
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Sai Baba of Shirdi was proficient in several Yogic practices and His accomplishments are still not completely deciphered. The missing years before the Lord showed up in Shirdi is yet to be accounted for. In fact, His simplicity was deceptively dissuading to even great saadhakas that approached Shirdi. The stories of Megha and Somdev are two such examples. However, myth shattered, these great men did not waste a minute and had good fortunes of having enlisted in His Kingdom. Rarely did Baba led His followers into His physical self, be it the Dhauthi that dismayed some of the accidental onlookers or the proficiency in Sri Mad BhagavadGita Nana had seen for himself. Abdul did mention that Baba used to recite Kalma and other versed in Urdu. He also depicts incidents where Baba chatted with Moslem scholars, although such events were rare in Shirdi and probably have not been always recorded.. No Mantras chanted and no benediction pronounced. He did not prescribe any Asanas, neither he approved fasting. Initiation may have a different connotation in spiritual world. But Baba's magic then and now has drawn several to His mystic self. Whether one would call this initiation or divine call, it is a fortune, a blessing to be revered. He is Rama the king, He is Krishna the thief (the Great one that stole butter), He is Mohammed, the Prophet, and the Messaih Jesus. Let us on this holy day reaffirm our faith to the Simple One, and the Perfect One and contemplate on His self.
Ten Key Word Messages from Shri Sai Baba
Jai Sai Ram and prayers to all! While Shri Sai Baba has conveyed a number of messages, in trying to consolidate my understanding, please allow me to present Ten of them that could be easily remembered through single words, as follows:
While not totally successful, trying to ensure that all actions and reactions reflect one or more of above (ten) guiding principles from Sai Baba has been extremely helpful. When faced with difficult situations, checking if what we wish to do falls within the above often prevents undesirable behavior. In responding to demands from our near and dear - parents, spouse, children and friends - if we are not watchful, we may say or do that might make us repent our words and actions. When such events occur, a quick remembrance of Sai Baba and ensuring that our response will reflect either love or one of - Forgiveness, Calmness, Devotion, Benevolence, - will likely enable us to act better. Likewise, at work, we often get challenged by our colleagues, superiors or others and a quick review of our actions to ensure that they reflect Humility or one of - Forgiveness, Desirelessness, Benevolence, and Egolessness - is likely to guide us to take a safer path. In public places, when faced with people who may annoy us, trying to follow the path of Charity, Control of mind and body might be helpful. Jai Sai Ram!
MRK, Phoenix, AZ, USA
The following is his experience in his own words:- In Madura, I seldom had any sickness and on that day there was nothing wrong with my health, but a sudden violent fear of death overtook me. I just felt "I am going to die" and began thinking what to do about it. It did not occur to me to consult doctor or elders or my friends. I FELT THAT I HAD TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM MYSELF. The shock of the fear of death drove my mind inwards, and said to myself mentally, without actually framing the words 'Now death has come, what does it mean? What is it that is dying? This body dies. "And I at once dramatized the occurrence of .death. I lay with my limbs stretched out stiff as though rigor mortis set in , and imitated a corpse so as to give greater reality to the enquiry. I held my breath, and kept my lips tightly closed so that neither the word I nor any other word could be uttered. "Well then", I said to myself "this body is dead. It will be carried stiff to the burial ground and there burnt and reduced to ashes. But with the death of this body, am I dead? Is the body I? It is silent and inert but I feel the full force of my personality and even the voice of "I" within me is apart from it. So I am Spirit transcending the body. The body dies but the Spirit transcending it, cannot be touched by death. That means I am the death less Spirit, which cannot be touched by death. That means I am the deathless spirit. All this was not dull thoughts that flashed through me vividly as living truth which I perceived directly, almost without thought process. "I" WAS SOMETHING VERY REAL, the only real thing about my present state and all the conscious activity connected with my body, was centered on that "I". From that moment, the "I" or Self focussed attention on itself by a powerful fascination. Fear of death vanished once and for all. Absorption in the Self continued unbroken from that time on. Other thoughts may come and go, like the various notes of music, but the "I" continued like the fundamental sruti note that underlies and blends with all other notes. Whether the body was engaged in talking , reading, or anything else, I was still centered on "I". Previous to that crisis I had no clear perception of my Self and was not consciously attracted to it. I felt no perceptible or direct interest in it. I felt no perceptible or direct interest in it, much less any inclination to dwell permanently in it. Venkataraman later called Ramana maharshi thus attained the self or liberation or mukti, thus when he was hardly sixteen years. He then was called to Tiruvannamalai and lived there all through After some years of mouna (silence) and staying alone, devotees gathered and some of his teachings became into small books. Who am I ? is one of them teaching his concept of path to realize God or Self. It says among others, that one should enquire and find out who you are. you will find by constant continuous enquiry, that you are not the gross body or sense organs not the five vital airs or even the mind , but I am the AWARENESS which is existence-consciousness bliss. this is the experience of one who did not believe in God before maharshi
when he sat before Maharshi. He was twenty four years old and just became a lawyer in Madras
" I was restless for three days before Ramana guru. On the morning of the fourth day, I was sitting before Maharshi with eyes closed. At one point, I happen to open my eyes and saw the Maharshi looking at me
intently. Suddenly all thoughts vanished in my mind and I experienced a delightful blank or void. Then a resplendent light enveloped me fully. I was empty of thoughts, but full of immense happiness I was one with that immense peace and glory. This continued for three days".
A Sai Devotee
Shirdi Sai Center, New York, NY
During the same parade last year, when Baba's Palki was carried in the parade, several devotees were privileged to observe the appearance/occurrence of water (Ganga jal) from Baba's picture which had been carried in the Palki. We hope that more devotees will join in the same. For more information about Baba's Palki Yatra in this year's parade please contact Dr. Gangadhar Rao at 718 321 9243. You can also visit Baba's web site at www.dwarakamaishirdi.org. Saidarbar, Hyderabad, India
SAI IN ANNADANAM -20 on 15 June 2000 at SRI VEERA ANJANEYA SWAMY TEMPLE, KARMANGHAT, HYDERABAD. SPONSORED BY : Smt& Sri Chandrasekhar Kaserbada -USA Saidarbar team prays Lord Sainath to shower HIS Blessings on the above sponsorers. For further details please contact: http://www.saidarbar.com /saiinannadanam.htm http://www.saidarbar.com/annamcamera.htm Sai Nama Sankirthan, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Sai Mandir, Panvel, Maharashta, India (Sri Bhagawati Sai Sansthan - Regd.) Sai Baba Mandir in Panvel, Maharashtra is situated about 40 Kms from Mumbai(Bombay). Spirtual head of the Mandir is Guruji Sri Sai Narayan Baba. The Temple activities start at 3.15am with Abhishek of 5'6" idol of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba and ends with Shej Arathi at 8.00pm. Devotees visiting India are urged to visit Panvel ashram and seek HIS divine blessings. For more details or pooja sponsorships at Panvel Ashram, please contact Sri Bhisham Vachhani at bhishamv@hotmail.com. Sai Utsav 2000
Veena Gupta, New Delhi, India
Today is the Independence Day of India as well as the Raksha Bandhan. My both the maid servants are on leave and I had done all the household work myself. In the morning I cleaned the mandir. After the bath etc, at about 10 am I placed a Rakhi on the Statue of the Baba. At that time there was no Udi at any place. I prayed to Baba for the blessings. After some time I saw some traces of Udi from the right foot of Baba. It is 12 noon time and there is a good quantity of Udi from the Baba's feet. Today the Udi is Coming from the feet of Baba from the Statue only. This is in addition to the usual phenomenon of His visit to our home and coming of Udi from different photos and the Statues on Thursdays. Shree
Sai bhakthi is now a fact of very great religious importance to millions of souls and the Sai light is being carried across the waters to illuminate distant corners of the earth. There is no good in blinking the fact that Sai bhakthi is a live force and a life force - Pujya Sri BVN Swamyji in "Life of Saibaba Part I"
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