|
Sai Vichaar 1.Feature of the Week: Worship of Baba 2.Experiences of Devotees 3.Devotees Say 4.Sai Activities 5.Question of the Week 6.From the Editor's Keyboard 7.Subscribe to Sai Vichaar 8.Disclaimer From the Editor's Keyboard... Sai Vichaar and Shirdi Sai Baba web site organization wishes readers a blissful "Maha Shivarathri" on February 14, 1999. Sai Samsthan, USA in Chicago has scheduled its Maha Shivarathri program and please visit Sai Activities section for more details. It is a wonderful opportunity for those residing in the Chicago area and visiting Chicago during that period to participate and celebrate the festivities of Sai Shiva. Sai Vichaar requests the readers and devotees contributing to various features to kindly give more details about themselves. If anonymity is required, it is acceptable. However, giving a few more details such as the place and country of origin will be very useful for other devotees, especially for those who would like to contact for whatever the reason may be. We hope that readers and devotees will understand and oblige. Sai Vichaar is very thankful to those devotees for sharing with us all their experiences with Sai Samarth. We also would like to inform that the response to "Question of the week" has no time deadline. Readers and devotees are requested to send in their response whenever possible. They will be posted in Sai Vichaar appropriately. The "Question of the week" for this week is "Is religion a path or a road block for spiritual progress?" 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.
|
Feature of the week:
Worship of Baba
The worship of Baba when He was in flesh and blood, was an unheard of phenomenon in the history of any religion. The fakir who went around begging for His food, was seated on a throne like a king at the end of the day, and was taken in procession with grandeur every alternate day! More mystic was the power He wielded over His devotees, Hindus and Muslims alike. Muslims considered Baba to be a great Saint or Aualia. For Hindus Baba was Guru and God. While Hinduism permits Idolatry or worship of Guru as God, Islam completely forbids worship of any idols. Therefore, the Muslims of Shirdi had to endure the disturbance of Baba's worship by their Hindu brethren. One day, they hatched a plan to prevent Mahalsapathy to enter the masjid and worship Baba his usual style. They stationed themselves at the entrance of the masjid and prevented frail Mahalsapathy from entering His abode. Now, let us hear about this episode from Prof. C.R. Narayanan in his own words, taken from "Shirdi Sai: The Supreme" by S.P. Ruhela. "So, one day when as usual Mahalsapathy came to do his usual puja of Baba, he started to find his way barred by a few stalwart Muslims. Being meek and gentle by disposition Mahalsapthy retired to the wall of the masjid and from there started his worship of Baba seated in the masjid. When Baba saw this, He asked His bhaktha as to why he offered his worship from a distance. The masjid being small was visible and audible from anywhere. Mahalsapathy pointed out to the Muslims guarding the entrance of the masjid to prevent his moving in. Now let the reader prepare himself or herself for another "chamatkar" from that God presiding over in Shirdi. His eyes flashed fire and taking His satka dashed it on the floor, and addressing Mahalsapathy asked him to walk into the masjid, do his puja even to the extent of anointing His entire body with sandal. The sound of Baba's satka was like a peal of thunder to the Muslims who trembled at its sound and were made mute by Baba's words. The gentle devotee Mahalsapthy walked majestically into the masjid and did his usual worship of his living God. Here is the actual miracle of Baba or His leela. The beef-eating Muslims could have over-powered the little goldsmith (Mahalsapathy) just by a whiff from their mouths. The same Muslims could have overlooked the person of Baba sitting in the Masjid. Why did these not happen? It was because of the mystic power of God Baba was seen at its zenith. The walking in of Mahalsapathy into the masjid is a scene worthy of being recorded by a Poet Laureate. The Muslims designed to bar him, were reduced to pitiable objects and Baba of Shirdi shone like the sun in all its splendour".
A Sai devotee
My ordeal started four years after marriage when I realized that I was not conceiving. Until then, I thought "I" could have children whenever "I" want. I waited eagerly for it but felt awfully depressed every month. I was so depressed and vulnerable that I started consulting astrologers. Each had his own predictions to such an extent that one even told my mother that the marriage itself was not rightly performed as the horoscopes did not match. This was very shocking to my parents who have done everything to everyone’s satisfaction. Then started my trauma with doctors, appointments, tests, endless hours of waiting, and the insensitive people around. It was then that my sister from Australia had told me about Baba for the first time. I started reading Satcharita - at first, I read it as a storybook. I went to Shirdi too with the hope of a miracle. Every time I read the book, I thought it will do some "magic". Then as I kept reading I realized that the book could not change anything but, I have to change myself , my way of thinking. This was when I told Baba " You are my mother, you know what is best for me, if you think that me, your child, should have no child , then its okay with me. But Baba, please let me also feel the joy of having a child". I cried to Baba every night but slowly I even stopped that and left it to Him. Then it happened when I least expected it to. Chanting His name, I went to the Doctor and my pregnancy was confirmed. I was blessed with a healthy baby boy whom I have named Sai Sanket, which means a sign or a communication from SAI. Today when I see any childless couple, I tell Baba "if you have plans of giving me another child, then give it to those childless couples so that they too can have the joy of a child in their homes". Going to astrologers is not wrong, we are all humans but one must have faith in Baba and most of all have patience. Let us all want only what OUR MOTHER wants us to have, as MOTHER knows the best. OM SAI RAM. B.L
Soma Somalingam, Australia
Dear Manish Saxena ,"YOU" "YOU" will feel the whole world is "HAPPY"....if.... "YOU" "YOU".. are in "LOVE" "LOVE" and Bliss..... How can "anybody else" take the responsibility on behalf of "YOU" "YOU" to make "YOU" "YOU" "YOUR SELF" "HAPPY".? ...please reply. Ravin Gnanasambandam, Arkansas, USA
Joseph, Virginia, USA
K. Moodley, South Africa
Sai Samsthan, USA. Sai Samsthan, USA has announced the Maha Sivarathri celebrations at Sai Baba mandir, Warrenville, IL, USA, on 14 February, 1999. The program is as follows: 8.00 AM - Kakada Aarti
Sai Baba Mandir is located at 27W321, Butterfield Road, Warrenville, IL 60555. Phone: 630-653-4444 For more information on Sai Samsthan USA, and its programs, please contact:
Craig Hamilton-Parker
"Why do we perform rituals in any religion?" Sathyabhama Sharma, Maryland, USA Rituals have greater significance in the religion. It is sumptuous feast for a Devotees heart. It teaches Discipline, which is the hallmark of a devotee. Once you have installed a Deity with Pran Pratishtha, it becomes your personal God. Giving bath, applying Sandalwood paste on the forehead and Lotus Feet, offering Naivaidya, Flowers, Light and Joss stick etc., create a heavenly atmosphere. Decorating your God in a most beautiful way, you make HIM sit on a beautiful Asan and offer Aarthi. By this, a routine is setup and you cannot miss it for a single day. All these sweet activities fill a sadhak’s heart with strong belief that his God is sitting just in front of him. Great sages tried to get a glimpse of HIS glory sitting in YogMudras, doing great penance. A simple sadhak achieves the hundredfold sweetness of HIS glory just sitting in the small temple right at home. These are the very rituals through which the sadhak cleanses his heart. When I visited Shirdi for the first time, I saw the heavenly Mangal Snanam of Baba in the morning. As the water slipped from HIS lotus feet, I could feel the melting process of this heart. I felt that my heart was the most beautiful thing in the world. Adoring the Deity with beautiful flowers, beauty of ideal Karmas is learnt. Sitting silently and absorbing the beauty within, beauty of good thoughts is learnt and the sound of mantras in praise of the Deity the purification of Mind, Heart, and Karma is learnt. Rituals are only the means not the end. They are the means to develop sweet relationship between God and Man, to feel HIS Divinity, Opulence, Fragrance, and Beauty. Rituals are the first step yet amazingly the sadhak achieves HIS Sameepya (nearness) without any effort. Offering of Naivaidya and our heart is a stepping stone for AtmaSmarpana. These very rituals leave a beautiful image of the Lord, all kind, all sweet and just like Your Bandhu Sakha and you are ready to offer your everything to HIM with love. Through this daily beautiful service, one learns the lesson of service to mankind. Through these silent prayers and dhyaana of the loving Deity, sadhak learns the power of meditation. Worshipping the Idol through rituals, one gets the realization of the Omnipresent. Not being able to find the depth of the attributes of God, our scriptures has called God NETI NETI but to a ritual performer, all attributes are imprinted on his heart and mind and he can say that God is all kind, all sweet, all beautiful and He is in his grasp. Sri Saisamarpanamastu Amit
Household person (not a Saint) goes through Panch soona - five sins and their atonement,
This involves destruction of lot of insects and creatures, and the householder incurs a lot of sin. In order to atone the sin, Shastras prescribe five kind of sacrifices (rituals). 1) Brahma Yajna (offering to Brahma)
This lead to purification of mind , helps to get knowledge and self-realization. Baba in going from home to home reminded the inmates of their sacred duty and fortunate were the people who got the lesson at their home from Baba. On Page 53, there is Bhagavad-Gita saying "Whoever devoutly offers to Me , a leaf, flower, or fruit of water, of that pure hearted man, I accept the pious offering".
Back to Menu |
© 1996-1998 by Shirdi Sai Baba web site Organization, all rights reserved.
