Feature of the Week: To Pray or not to Pray

To Pray or Not to Pray is a conflict between logic and faith. Why should we pray? When we pray, there is Dvaita Bhava (state of duality, a feeling that we are different from our God), and also the implication is that we are adopting Child Ego State and are putting God on a higher pedestal (like a Father Figure), requesting him for some favor. It is like a small child requesting / demanding his father or mother for some thing. Parents always do not accede to the child's request and the child, in its short-sighted ignorance cries, abuses or even beats the parent with its small fists. The parents do not mind all these tantrums, since they know that the child will soon outgrow these acts. Thus, prayers and denial of prayers are part of the spiritual growing up. The prayers that most of us put up to God are derived mostly from RIG VEDA and are well suited for us when we are confused, frightened, anxious, or feel unequal to the situation. In such situations, we do adopt the Child Ego State (pl. refer to Thomas Harris's excellent book, I am OK, You are OK for explanation of the three ego states, Child, Adult, Parent and the elements of Transactional Analysis). When we are calm, contented and when we are able to contemplate the higher philosophical truth, as expounded in UPANISHADS, we don't feel different from the Universal Consciousness which we call God and the prayers as the ones for the universal welfare. When we pray, we are trying to access the SAGUNA form of God, whereas when we philosophize, we try to understand the NIRGUNA (formless) aspect of God. Both are relevant to the respective situations. The ADVAITA (non-dual) logic leads to NIRGUNA, where as DVAITA and faith may lead to a paternal, divine, omnipotent, omniscient (all knowing), benevolent form of God. It is true that if we believe in destiny, no prayers are needed. But since in the turmoil of the troubles, the lamp of firm faith in destiny (is it faith or is it a logical conclusion, we shall explore later), starts flickering, prayers act as shades.

Prayers don't always yield positive results. What prayers do is, they give strength to face the situation calmly, with a feeling that we have done what is humanly needed and possible, and now we leave it to God. Thus, prayers do help in reducing anxiety and stress and do prepare the person in a gradual spiritual progress of accepting destiny and its rewards. Prayers are offered for several reasons; self progress, for alleviating the problems of others or for material gains. If we accept destiny as a predetermined Roadmap, our prayers for any purpose are of no use, since what ever happens is preordained. Of course, one may say that even the prayers and the results, positive or negative, are also preordained. This going around in circles leads us no where. I feel more comfortable with the theory that destiny is like handicap, i.e. it gives you some positive and some negative qualities, some Karmic positive balances and debts. God has given us enough freedom to utilize these resources. What is probably preordained is some sort of role model in the cosmic drama, but the individual actions are left to individual. Sometime ago, I talked of The Kitten and The Baby Monkey. The situation of a Devotee who is praying to a Parental God for favors is that of a Baby Monkey. It is the devotee's responsibility to hold on to the Parent irrespective of what happens. Whether one's prayers are answered positively or not, one has to develop a steadfast faith and devotion to one's God. This is the first stage in spiritual development. In the case of the devotee who has surrendered his ego totally, unconditionally to his God, the situation is similar to that of a Kitten, which doesn't move even an inch on its own but goes on crying when it is separated from its mother. Here too, we may say the devotee is praying, but the situation is different. The devotee is now praying for the company of his GOD, since he is unable to bear the separation. The devotee does not ask for anything specific, since the devotee knows that he is taken care by his God. He only wants to be with his God. This is the next stage of spiritual development. I can only conclude this by saying that, in Advaita, there is no need or for that matter, no room for prayer. But to really feel one with God, one has to totally dissolve one's ego, and if one is successful in that, there is nothing to pray for. Since we can't totally get rid of our ego, we need to pray, since we feel that we must do something and prayer is also doing something. The above may or may not be very logical but then logic is always not an answer for everything. I go through this dilemma almost everyday, so I pray for enlightenment. (to be continued..)
(A Contribution by Sai devotee S.V. Swamy, Hyderabad, India)
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Devotees Say

Lalitha
Can you tell me how to face fear in life?

MRK, Phoenix, AZ, USA
MIRACLES. We LEARN OF Shirdi Sai Maharaj's grace flowed on his devotees in many ways. He directed flour to be thrown on the borders of Shirdi village when there was severe cholera attack. When merchants refused to give oil for the lamps in masjid, he lighted them with water. He gave coins and asked devotees to keep them. Devotees saw in him lord Shiva, Krishna and their gurus in Him. Some devotees look down on miracles as magic and lower type of yoga. What exactly is a miracle that has to be accepted by a devotee with faith and which are to be achieved? Webster defines miracle as the extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs Christian Science defines it as a divinely natural phenomena as experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law. Let us also remember others like Jesus and other divinely inspired saints and divine manifestations also do miracles. With faith ,we devotees have to accept them with complete surrender of limited egos. Why then the doubts? one doubts because he confuses miracles with magic. A magician Shri B.V. Pattabhiram who happens to be a devotee of Bhagavan Sri SATYA SAI BABA, drew two distinctions. 1.Magician produces materials or hallucinations by trick or by movement of his hand. 2.He does these tricks not for spiritual of growth of that person bur for material gain. So let us not confuse these magicians to realized souls whose only purpose of showing miracle is to transform the devotee to higher level of consciousness and finally to self realization. There is also one other doubt. Some sadhakas of yoga and other systems of practices like praying in burial grounds etc also get sidhis by which they can produce things. One has to note that these siddhis used by one not for his or devotees growth will vanish away. Persons who go to them will not spiritually improve but go on downward path. For example, I knew one person in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. He used to do Kali puja in what is called vaama marga. He used to practise in burial grounds and later installed a big Kali statue. He developed the power of controlling others minds-vaseekarana and drag monies out of his followers. But if one is engrossed, in complete surrender to A SELF REALISED GURU, HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL him. There was another gentleman in Vizianagaram. He acquired powers of curing diseases. He used to take money and give powders. After some time this power used for earning money vanished. Thus he lost his spiritual growth and all his devotees left him. In fact sadhakas are warned not to use any siddhis till they attain perfect liberation. Let not Baba's devotees confuse the miracles of avatars and fully realized souls with either magic or siddhis used for material gain. Nothing wrong to use buddhi to distinguish between what is really good from bad but let us not fall into a trap of rationality against faith to these great avatars who lived all the time for the good of humanity and uplifting the depressed souls of humanity and transforming them first to highest levels of a human being and finally to merge in the absolute.

Alhad G. Sathe
God does not become happy by invoking his name, neither he feels dejected when one criticize him. He looks at our actions not words. A person may take 100 or 1000 Hari naam in a day, but if he abuses other soul (may it be animal or human) then this bhajans have no meaning. God is within us. Everybody is capable or has power to be worthy to God. God is "good" within us. The problem is that a person decides his actions based on others. He becomes happy or unhappy based on actions of other soul. Instead, if he decides to look within him and improve his words and actions, he will follow the path of self-realization.
He has that power. He is the best. But if he criticizes or praises himself, he is called egoistic. I think people who judge others by their actions, are the real egoistic because they judge these actions based on their egos. A person should act on his words. I am sure then his soul will be happy.

This is in response to Raghu Vissamraju, New Zealand . "God according to scriptures is not supposed to yield to praise/blasphemy, then why is it done!? Can any one please explain!?"

Correct me if I am wrong, this is my feeling. Let me start with small example... This would make sense if you have small babies in your home. This baby while eating food, tries to feed his parent's... there won't be any boundaries for the happiness the parents get at that time. This is the same feeling God get's when we praise, pray, and feed him.
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Prayer Club

Mandeep
This is my request to all of you that please pray to Sai Deva to save my married life from crucial hands of divorce and make it very happy. I have been married for almost 8 months and my husband keep on telling me that he does not want to be in this marriage because he does not like me, he does not like my face because of pimples, I am not very intelligent and lot more reasons. Almost one and half month back ,I saw My Deva in my dreams and he gave me his Asheervaad. Until then I was not Sai devotee, but from that time onwards I always feel that Sai Baba is with me. I have a lot of faith in Babaji. and I know that he will make Our marriage work out and will make it happy, But as soon as my husband starts telling me that he has decided to divorce me ,I become very sad and disappointed, But again after remembering my Sai Baba’s name, I am regaining faith because Baba told everybody to have Shard and Saburi.
Please, again this is request to all Sai devotees to pray for my happy married life by. Please pray Baba to create feelings of affection and love in my husband's heart and mind. Please pray Baba to show right path to my husband and also give him Grace and love so that he can also become Sai Devotee.
I don’t know whether this is correct address to make prayers or not. Even if it is not write address, Please do not delete this and let it go in Sai Devotee's hands because I really need their prayers for so that both of us can become very caring and loving towards each other and take the responsibility to play our roles.

Pushpa
I am a Sai devotee. I read Sai Satcharitra almost eight times and I am reading I need a blessing of Sai Baba. Please pray all as Sai devotees that my both daughters should get married as early as possible. Let Sai Baba help us as every body is very much worried about above issue. Oh, Sai Baba, Please help me.

Srinivasan
I have been a devotee of Shirdi Sai for the past 5 years. I got the job and I was well settled in my life because of Shirdi Sai blessings. I am having health problems from January. I request all the Sai devotees to pray on my behalf for my good health.

Ramya Kumar
I have been devotee of Sai for many years now and so are my parents and grandparents. I am currently attending college in Boston. I was almost engaged to my best friend here and things were going strong. but now, he has broken things off. we are still friends, but I really want things to work out between us. this may seem to be a very petty prayer compared to the numerous that I have seen in Sai Vichaar, but for me currently, this is very important. I have become very emotionally unstable and pray constantly to Sai, listen to bhajans and read Sai Satcharitra every night with the faith that Sai will shower his grace on me and my friend will be ready for a relationship again. I pray Sai devotees that you include me in your daily prayers. I an confident that Sai will shower his blessings on me.
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Sai Activities

Muthender Velishala, Shirdi Sai Bhaktha Samaj, IICT Campus, Hyderabad, India.
The Samaj is functional for the past ten years. If anybody happen to come for an evening walk, specially on Thursdays to campus side one hears gentle humming sounds of "Gajananam Bhootha Ganadhi Savitham" or ...."Sree Satchidananda Sadguru Sai Nath Maharj ki jai followed by the rhythmic sounds of talas, dholak, tabla and Harmonium and melodious Sai Bhajans. That is the one of the sacred activity, out Samaj is doing on every Thursday evening without break for the last 10 years! This activity of Sai Baba pooja and Bhajans is celebrated on every Thursday in turn in any one of the devotee's house which will generally coincide birthdays, marriage days or on the occasion of a good thing happened to the devotee by the grace of Baba. This begins at 6.30PM and continues up to 9.45 p.m. by Sandhya Harathi, Pooja & Ashtotharam, Satcharitra Parayanam, Bhajans, Satsang, Sheja Harathi, Prasad Vitharana. The other activities of our Samaj are: 1. On Sri Rama Navami day: Performing Sree Rama kalyanam 2. Guru Poornima Day: Honoring Teachers, Gurus conducting Blood donation camps with the help of Local Lions Clubs 3. On Maha Samadhi Day we perform the respective poojas and feed the poor people not less than 300 to 400, followed by cultural program. Those wishing to contribute to this cause may contact muthender@iict.ap.nic.in for more details.

Baba Prayer Center, Chennai
6/1 Papani Apartments, 67TH Street, Eleventh Avenue, Ashok Nagar, Chennai-600083, INDIA BR>Baba Prayer center thanks Sai Vichaar for having published the Prayer center’s email Prayer program in Sai Vichaar. More than 60 emails have been received in all the email addresses put together.
Devotees who wish to inform their problems to Baba can send an email to anyone of the following email addresses:
babaprayercentre@hotmail.com
babaprayercentre@yahoo.com
babaprayercentre@usa.net
It is believed that SHIRDI BABA HIMSELF reads email and he blesses the devotees immediately. This email is between Baba and the devotees only. No one is allowed read them and after a week the mail is deleted. Copy (cc) can be sent to kumarbabaonline@hotmail.com if the devotees want a reply. Recently we have hosted web-site with URL: babaprayercentre.faithweb.com. Baba Prayer Center will be thankful if devotees pay a visit to the site and suggest improvements to the site to enhance our Sai Services and service to devotees in the Sai Family. The site has some interesting photos also which devotees may like to see. We will be adding some audio content also in the near future. Baba prayer center also prays for the health of Sri Ravada ji (Sri Saibanisa) who has some set back in health recently.

Shirdi Sai Sansthan ,Sydney, Australia
We are having our first fundraising event for our Sai temple. It is a MUSICAL CONCERT by the Sarasvani Orchestra of Sydney. It is on the 8th July, 7-10pm.
Venue : Morley Centre , ( Catherine McAuley School )
Darcy Street, Westmead. ( opp. Westmead Hospital )
We are also holding a Raffle for which the draw will be held on the 8th July. We are taking out a souvenir for which advertisements are required. All Sai devotees are requested to come forward and help by attending the event. For further details they can contact Sujata Rao at ( 02) 98710163 or Gurmeet at (02) 96484225. Generous Donations are also welcome. All donations are tax deductible. Cheques can be made in favor of ' Shree Shirdi Sai Sansthan ' to be mailed to; Sujata Rao, 17 Jade Place, West Pennant Hills , NSW 2125, Australia

SAI IN ANNADANAM-13 - Saidarbar, Hyderabad, India
This program of Annadanam was conducted on 9/5/2000 at Stree Nivas, State Home for Women and Children Yousuf Guda, Ameerpet, Hyderabad, India, an orphanage managed under the aegis of Department of women and child welfare, A.P. Government. This activity was conducted by the Saidarbar team as desired by Sri Gopi and Smt Raji of Canada. Sri Sai showers HIS Grace and blessings on Sri Gopi and Smt Raji of Canada for financially sponsoring this good cause. Please refer to www.saidarbar.com for more details and other activities of Saidarbar.
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Experiences of Devotees

Bindiya, USA
It is amazing how Baba takes care of tiny details of our life. Last week was my son’s birthday. We had hired a company to do a show at his school. Invitation cards were sent to 30 kids and their parents. On last Thursday evening, a day before his birthday, we received a call from one of the employees of the company, that she will not be able to make it. So we were basically left with 30 kids who had nothing to do for my Son’s party. On the same Thursday morning, I had a dream. I was sitting in a Mandir and chanting Gayatri Mantra. I heard a voice say, "If you chant this mantra, you will pass the exam."

I forgot all about the dream later in the day. We were tensed, trying desperately to contact the company demanding an explanation. No response. All we got was an answering machine. I went into the pooja room and told Baba your Bhakta’s pride, honor is at stake. I know you will save us. But still the tension remained. I asked him? Why me? Why at the last moment? But then I felt, no matter how bad it looks, it is for my best. So what if I loose face among 30 kids ,teachers and parents? If Baba thinks that this is right, then so it is. Even though it is hard to accept. Thinking that, we decided to go ahead and go to the Gurudwara as planned earlier. As I entered, the Bhajan that was being sung was "Santa ke kaaraj aap sawarda, har kam karavan aap." Meaning, he will make everything all right. Sitting there, I suddenly realized that I was being tested. I remembered the dream. I chanted the mantra in my mind. I remembered an incident of how God helped Kabirji when he had guests over to his place. I was calm. It was 9 PM, the party was in the morning. I just thought, so be it. Baba Sai will be there no matter what.

So I resigned myself to disappointing my son and other kids. After ten minutes or so I came out and went into the langar hall to try and find my husband. My husband had a beaming smile on his face. "The company just called" he said. "What? At this hour?" I was shocked. "Yes," he replied, "the President will herself come and perform the show." I was speechless. Immediately I went in again and bowed my head to my Baba. It was my son’s best birthday party ever.

Achyut Ramaiah
Oh Sai thou looketh so forlorn!
O Sai why ! why Sai !
so wretched thou feeleth so
Why Sai ???

The world is tainted
With black devils
Full of bad persons
Who speak good
But do nothing ?
Are you aggrieved
Because of them ?

No Sai !
You are not bothered !
But the pity look
Has not gone ?
Why Sai ?

Now I know Sai !
Sai thou art worried
About a POOR MAN
In the Bazzar in Shirdi
who in his Hunger
Has accosted you
For being hungry
At your door step !!

Oh Sai
Yes your piety look
Has gone for ever !
Am sure
You had found some means
To give solace to him !!
TO THE POOR SOUL !

Oh Sai!
BE nice to us !
For all of us are like
The wretched man !
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