Sapatnekar was an elite lawyer who did not quite believe in Baba until he had to face the calamity of losing his only son to disease. Disinterested in life and disturbed, he had to seek in refuge in Baba. Nanasaheb Chandorkar had his own questions about the all pervasive nature of Baba. Baba revealed Himself to Nana through some of the divine experiences of the latter, and thus Nana was a part of Baba's court. Kakasaheb Dikshit, another ardent devotee of Sainath did not know about Baba for several years and Baba drew him towards Himself via peculiar circumstances.

Hemadpant wrote that however scholarly may man's learning be, it just fades away in front of the one that realized the Brahman. Everyone one of those that approached Baba with a preconceived notion, either with the curiosity to know if He is really what He is being portrayed as or with the arrogance of learnedness had to bow in front of His humility, benevolence, compassion, and the magnificence. In case of all those learned men, it was the surrender either due to the misfortune of a suffering or the providence of His grace, that provided them with the means of enlightenment. It is true that however scholarly may man's learning be, it just fades away in front of the one that realized the Brahman. On this peaceful Thursday, let us contemplate on that realization only a Sadguru can give and nothing else the world may teach will.
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Contributed Article:Hindu Worship-Part IV

The absolute God cannot be grasped by the human mind, so we require symbols. If the devotee is very philosophical man, his symbol may be very abstract in nature: a vast expanse, the infinite sky, something unlimited. These are other images and conceptions, though subtle. A person who cannot think in an abstract way prefers to have more concrete symbols. So he has been given forms of the anthropomorphic type. This is consistent with the three major conceptions of God: God the Absolute; the personal God with qualities, such as kindness and love, but no form; and the personal God with both form and qualities. In Hinduism, we find that the personal God has not only qualities, but a variety of forms as well. And why should this not be so? From a psychological point of view, the ideal needs to be presented according to the understanding of the devotee, all the while reminding him that it is through the worship of the form that he is to reach the formless aspect of the divine. This is the idea behind image worship in India. Image worship does not mean that some inert substance such as wood or stone is being worshipped. The image is also not a mere icon. It is a symbol of the lord. It reminds the devotee of the Lord, just as a photograph reminds us of the thing photographed (Ref. "Concept of God in Hinduism" by Swami Swahananda from The Vedanta Kesari, February 2000)

The idol is a support for us in spiritual childhood. A form or image is necessary for worship in the beginning. It is an external symbol of God for worship. It is the reminder of God. The material image calls up the mental data. Steadiness of the mind is obtained by image worship. The worshipper will have to associate the idea of infinity, omnipotence, purity, perfection, freedom, holiness, truth and omnipresence. It is not possible for all to fix the mind Absolute. A concrete form is necessary for practicing concentration. To behold God everywhere and to practice the presence of God is not possible for the ordinary man. Idol worship is the easiest form of worship for the modern man.

Idol worship is not just limited to Hinduism. Christians worship the Cross. They have the image of Cross in their mind. The Muslims keep the image of the Kaaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The people of the whole world keep some image or the other in their mind. The mental image is also a form of idol. Everyone is thus idol worshipper. Pictures, drawings, symbols etc. are all forms of idol only. Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors, but are shining channels through' which the heart of the devotee is attracted to God and flows towards him. Many would say, "Oh God is an all pervading formless being and how can God be confined to this idol!" Are these people ever conscious of His omnipresence? Do they always see Him alone in everything? No, It is their ego that prevents them from bowing to the idols of God and with that motive, they put this excuse forward.

The idol is a substitute or symbol. The image in a temple though it be made of stone, wood or metal is precious for a devotee as it bears the mark of his Lord, as it represents something which he holds holy and eternal. A flag is only a small piece of painted cloth, but to a soldier it stands something that he holds very dear. He is prepared to give up his life in defending his flag. Similarly, the image is very dear to a devotee. It speaks to him in its own language of devotion. The image arouses devotion in the devotee. A piece of ordinary white paper or colored paper has no value. We throw it away. However, if there is the stamp of Government on the paper (currency note), we keep it safe in pocket. Even, so an ordinary piece of stone has no value for us. We throw it away. However, if we behold the stone idol, we all bow our heads with folded palms, because there is the stamp of beloved lord on the stone. When you worship an image, we do not say; "this image has come from Punderpur. It was bought by Shriram. Its weight is 50 lbs. It is made of white marble. It has cost me Rs. 500/-" No! We superimpose all the attributes of the Lord on the image and pray. When our devotion and meditation become intense and deep, we do not see the stone image. We behold the Lord only who is pure Consciousness.

Image worship is very necessary for beginners. By worshipping the idol, the Lord is pleased. The idol is made up of the five elements. The five elements constitute the body of the Lord. The idol remains an idol, but the worship goes to the Lord. If you shake hands with a man, he is highly pleased. You have touched only a small part of his body and yet he is happy. He smiles and welcomes you. Even so, the Lord is highly pleased when a small portion of his cosmic body is worshipped. An idol is a part of the body of the Lord. The whole world is His body. The devotion goes to the Lord. The worshipper superimposes on the images the Lord and his attributes. This is one of the easiest forms of self-realization. It is one that suits the majority of people today. A look at the picture of God will elevate our mind to divine heights. This is truly a wonder and a miracle.
(A contribution by Paritala Gopi Krishna, New Delhi, India)
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Experiences of Devotees

Lata
Why is that the appeal of Shirdi Sai Baba's charismatic personality is so irresistible to people I quote some of the reasons from a Sai devotee, B. Ramanatha Rao of Madras. "He is easily pleased. No hard penance, no unbearable fasts not even difficult concentration or control of senses. In His words,'You look to Me and I will look to you.' Can there be anything simpler than this He left His mortal body years ago yet even today thousands of devotees experience His presence. No money is required to worship Baba. He is pleased with fruits, flowers, leaves or even water offered with devotion. You do not even have to travel to Shirdi. He is wherever you are, 'even beyond the seven seas'. Udi from the dhuni burning eternally in His Dwarakamaayi is the cheapest and most infallible medicine for all diseases the cost is only two paise shradha and saburi. His Satcharita contains all the wisdom of the Vedas, Upanishads and Geeta in the form of simple stories and anecdotes. Reading them and following the advice therein one can achieve liberation. Repetition of His name 'Sai' is short and sweet. Last but not the least, He on fulfilling your demands in this world, ensures that you do not get caught up in the dangerous web of this 'sansaar' and takes you step by step to liberation."
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Devotees say...

Saibanisa, Saidarbar, Hyderabad, India
Pranaams to all Saibandhus. We all stepped in to the New Year with lot of zeal and Hopes for a bright future but alas, in the very first month, that too on an important National event day, nature once again shown it's supremacy and fury in the form of Earth Quake in Gujarat. The devastation caused in terms of loss of Human life, Thousands rendered Homeless, Loss of Property and worst misery of loosing one's kith and kin are unimaginable and beyond words. Those critical Thirty seconds have reduced the whole area in to a concrete jungle. Surely, it has moved the hearts of many of our Saibandhus. Questions have poured in from many quarters -" why did this happen"? I replied them my opinion, and for the remaining people, I would like to convey through this letter. The simple answer to this question lies in the fact that 'Man has little or no control over the Pancha Bhoothas' i.e. Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, and Sky-the basic Elements of the Universe. Only God is empowered with total control (Speed, direction and magnitude). This is amply made clear in Eleventh Chapter of Sai Satcharitra. Our Beloved Guru Lord Sainath has advocated rendering help to the needy in a manner as deemed fit. I believe in earnestly appealing to all our fellow Sai devotees to extend their helping hand and contribute their might to the quake hit victims. I also believe that Governmental channels and Institutions like Red Cross is the best ones to ensure that help reaches the right people.
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Sai Activities

Sri Shiridi Saibaba Bhaktha Samajam, Peapully, Kurnool, AP, India.
Contact : Haranatha Babu, Peapully Mandal Parishad, Kurnool Dist - 518 221. AP, India. Phone: (08522) 29359. Please visit www.saisannidhi.org for more details about this Sai Center.

Saidarbar, Hyderabad, India
Sai darbar members have offered prayers on 31-01-2001 to Lord Sainath for those who suffered the earth quake in Gujarat. May the departed souls rest in peace. During the month of January 2001, Ten poor feeding programs, A Birthday celebration in an orphanage, Tele-Satsang with devotees in Colorado Springs (USA) and a Gayatri Mata Mahayagna were conducted. "Faith in action is Love and Love in action is service". In line with this principle, it is hereby requested that all those intending Saibandhus in participation of Saidarbar programs may indicate their choices of Venues and Date schedules in advance and obtain confirmation to avoid disappointment. I hope Saibandhus will understand in the right spirit behind this and co-operate with us so that we can serve them better. The venues selected for conducting poor feeding programs are: 1. Home for thew abandoned children, 2.Home for the Sick and Destitute. 3.Home for the Disabled. 4.Home for the Aged, and 5.Temples. For further details please contact saibanisa@hotmail.com
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Prayer Club

A Sai devotee
OM SAI SRI SAI JAI JAI SAI I have committed some mistakes in the past & I really want all of you Baba devotees to pray to Baba to forgive me, I also want to do penance for what I did & I am in complete remorse. Baba, Please forgive me for all the mistakes I have committed & please help me & guide me when I stray, which you have always been doing, Sai Baba please help me. I am really sincere in my remorse & ask for forgiveness & support & blessings from you all the time. Please help me. I remain at your lotus feet. OM SRI SADGURU SAINATH MAHARAJ KI JAI

Sai Bhakth, Milford, CT
Let us for a moment stop thinking of our individual needs and pray to Sai for the benefit of all those who have been hurt physically and psychologically in the Gujarat Quake. I request Sai Vichar to appeal to all its members to pray for the unfortunate ones. Jai Sai Ram.

Sangeetha
Everybody please pray for my brother's family and my parents as my brother passed away leaving behind a young daughter and wife. He died in an accident trying to help somebody. Please pray to our Guru to give them strength in this time of need.

Ramesh, Boston
My sister got baby boy last week ,he was doing fine but doctor told that he has some problem in heart he has to under go surgey,but i told my parents to go baba temple and have udi to give to boy, he is doing fine now They are going to madras for check up I request all sai devotee to pray for my sister son and I strongly beleive that baba will help us baba has take care of Kid and with out any surgey he will back home sairam

Mukund Raj, USA
We request devotees to pray for the speedy recovery of a dear one who underwent a major surgery last week. Let us pray that his discomfort is taken care of for ever. Bow to Sri Sai Peace be to all.
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Quotation of the Week

"He who sees ME in all creatures is my most beloved" - Sai Baba
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Question of the Week

Q.What did Baba teach us through the wrestling bout with Mohdin Tamboli?
S.V. Swamy, Hyderabad, India

The episode of Mohiddin Tamboli in Chapter 5 of Sri Sai Satcharitra, page 27 (English version by Sri Gunaji), is a very interesting and instructive episode. Baba was fond of wrestling. Once He and Mohiddin Tamboli did not agree on some point and then they had a wrestling match in which Baba was defeated. This caused a major change in His lifestyle. He started wearing a Kafni, a Langot and had His head shaved and was covering it by a cloth, which draped down His shoulder, like matted hair. Something similar is described about another saint Ganga Gir.

What is the significance of this wrestling match? Why did Baba 'allow' Himself to be defeated by Mohiddin Tamboli? It is clear that He enacted this drama with some purpose. If He wanted, He could have easily defeated not one but 10 Mohiddin Tambolis. After all, He had perfect control over the elements by that time, as demonstrated to Chand Patil. So He had some definite purpose. What was it? Baba wanted to lead by example. Most of us are fond of our looks, and most of us want to win over others, either physically or mentally. Thus either through good looks, or good education, through muscle power or money power, we want to dominate others. Baba showed by this episode that sooner or later, we will meet someone better than us and are bound to lose. At that time, do we accept our loss with equanimity? Certainly not! When we win we are elated, when we lose, we are depressed. We try to regain our lost pride by either deprecating the winner, or by taking out our frustration on someone less powerful . Thus, as long as we try to win over someone by any means except selfless, true, altruistic love, we are bound to lose and suffer. He changed His external lifestyle to emphasize this point and to sanctify the poor, the meek and the humble, so that the more fortunate and powerful brethren do not try to dominate them. He started openly advocating Fakiri, Mendicancy etc., only to drive home the point that all that we think is ours is actually the Bhiksha of God. That is why He always used to say "Allah Malik" meaning God is the Owner. And that is also the reason, Baba discouraged discussions and arguments. There is more to this. Baba wanted to teach all of us one important lesson. Even if we are able to win over all others in the external manifest universe, we will certainly not be able to win over our internal enemies! And we have not one but at least six of them! (Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya). And we have our ego, which is the most difficult enemy to conquer! So, Baba's message to all of us through the interesting and spiritually uplifting and instructive episode of Mohiddin Tamboli, is: " Don't fight! Surrender! Surrender not to your enemy but to your God and Guru, who will then take care of your enemies!"
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