Das Ganu sought Baba for an explanation of a highly complicated metaphysical work, the Upanishad. Saibaba blessed him and said, "You need not be anxious, there is no difficulty about the matter, the maid servant of Kaka (Kakasaheb Dixit) will solve your doubts at Vile Parle, on your way home." Those who were present around thought that Baba was joking, but not Das Ganu. He knew fully well that seemingly meaningless utterances of Sadguru Sainath Maharaj are nothing but utter truths and the most competent authority for any explanation is only Sadguru and none else.

Faith in Saibaba grows as the saadhana intensifies, taking the seeker to different levels of perception. It can be said that such faith in most cases is just a relative measure of one's standing with his/her Sadguru. However, as Guru ji noted, the highest stage of spirituality there can only be one truth one definition and one experience about it. Guruji C.B. Satpathy ji wrote, "Many devotees are heard saying that they have 'faith in Baba', 'full faith in Baba' or are 'surrendered'. Would one ask them as to why and how they got this faith for Baba, the general reply is that In their difficult times they prayed to Baba and got the required help and, therefore, think that Baba will help them when ever they desire to avoid painful situations or pray for desirable happenings. Some of them are even seen to criticize other devotees for not having as much faith as they have and thereby enjoy a sense of spiritual superiority as if they and not Baba have the right and capacity to pass such value judgments on such matters."

A seeker in his pursuit does encounter occasional glimpses of God's magnificence, but that does not completely make him competent to explain the Supreme to everyone. Unless all the samskaras vanish, the seeker cannot be considered as the one that is sought! Even the great souls that lived with Saint God during the golden age had to go through those phases whereas devotees such as Das Ganu had in their capacity to abide by the complete faith in Saibaba. Let us remember and offer our prostrations to the Sadguru who is the only competent.
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Contributed Article: A Tribute to my teacher!

Consider a scenario, where our Sadguru and the Lord himself are standing together. Whom would you first bow to? The Sadguru or the God? The answer could be varying in each of our minds.

Well, we should first bow to the Sadguru and offer our prayers and gratitude at his Lotus feet because HE is the one who showed us the right path and direction to reach our Lord - The Hari. Therefore, our prayers should first be offered to the Sadguru, and then to the Lord as he serves as a beckon light in our life and guides us at every stage.

The same theme is beautifully depicted in the following verses in Marathi:

Guru ani Hari Doge Ubhe Samori |
Paya Aadi thari Guruche Dhara ||

Haricha Agodhar Gurunaam Gyave ||
Sarva Aadi Vandave Gurudeva ||

Guru ne Davila Govinda Ammala
Manuni thayala Aadi Smaru ||

On this occasion of Teacher's Day (September 5), we take this opportunity to express our gratitude, humbly prostrate before the Guru, and seek his gracious presence and blessings to shower on us always. Hari Om.

(contributed by a Sai Devotee)
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Experiences of Devotees

Sai Devotee
In 1988 not knowing of Sai Baba, I prayed very hard with such intensity that tears fell freely from my face. I asked God for help to find HIM. All my life I had experiences of waking from sleep and seeing a saint praying at the foot of my bed, other times while asleep I would be violently dragged out of my body by an evil powerful force, where I would be standing in limbo terrified and confused. I would scream out for Jesus, HE would appear in an explosion of brilliant white light, like a super nova. HIS hair and beard would be blown back as if HE was standing in a violent windstorm. This evil force would leave quite suddenly and Jesus would look at me with a most beautiful smile, then disappear His light took me a few seconds to adjust my eyes to be able to see HIM, it was that bright. This went on for years. As far back as I can remember. But back in 1988 one week after that intense prayer, I read an article in the newspaper asking for people who wish to advance spiritually. I phoned and was given a time and date to arrive. The first thing I saw when the door opened at this address was a large oil painting of SAI BABA. HIS eyes kept following me, and my eyes could not leave HIS beautiful face. When finally I enquired about HIM, I was told who HE was. And something prompted me to search for more information on HIM, which I found in books. I am a married man of 48, have 4 children, 3 girls and a boy, they fight day and night, when I purchased a japamala I sat on my bed pictured BABA in my mind and proceeded to call HIS name. After along time of doing this, I decided to count the beads and make sure there were 108, to my astonishment there were only 107. I prayed to BABA and told him my children with their constant arguing keep me from finding peace. So I asked BABA if HE would materialize another bead for my japamala when ever my children start to fight I will leave it all to HIM and I will proceed with my japa. The next day I counted the beads and HE heard my prayer, there were now 108 beads. Glory be to SAI.
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Devotees say...

Krishnaveni
I can't think of life without Sai ram blessings. You have always been with us. Please be with my family & me & bless us Baba.

SV Swamy
I want to thank Anita Kandukuri and SAI VICHAR (thus SAI MAHARAJ) for a very timely message to me. Anita's inspiring article is a very apt message to me! I too had a lot of tough time recently and sent a prayer to SAI and of course HE responded, not once but many times and in many ways to give me strength, patience and most of all wisdom, unfortunately not much in evidence in my behavior with friends and relatives and with SAI. He Knows best and chooses the MOST APPROPRIATE ways to guide us and to protect us. After all, we are HIS children! GLORY AND PRAISE TO SAI MAHARAJ, OUR FATHER, MOTHER, FRIEND, PHILOSOPHER AND GUIDE!!!

I always used to feel that Sai Devotees need not air their prayers in public, since HE knows what they need. Now I realize that while HE knows what they need, they after all don't know and so like children cry out! I apologize to all of them mentally and through this letter. I too cried out to HIM, after all, only through a different medium.

A Sai devotee
This is in response to the devotee who has put his request to Baba for a companion. Please mail me your details at shars1@rediffmail.com.
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Prayer Club

Sai devotee
Baba, Your Grace is immeasurable, You are the sole refuge of all of us devotees. Please bless us always, give me the strength to accomplish all the tasks that I have undertaken. You alone can help me in this. Please take care of us, help me do well in the things I have undertaken, please give my family and all devotees peace.

A Sai devotee
Om Sai Ram Baba, I am so sad Baba, Vishaalini called me from school. She told me that she did not do well in Maths & English. This is the first time she has flopped her English. I am very worried now, please Baba help her to concentrate more. There is only 3 weeks more. I am afraid of putting too much of stress on her. She may just shut off and don't study. Baba, My husband is not helping me at all, my mother in law is adding pressure on me, on top of it Vishaalini is adding on to my problems, how much can I take, I am so helpless Baba, please help me, Baba, please Baba I beg of you. Om Sai Ram.

A Sai devotee
In Jun 1999, my house was burgled and all ornaments and cash totally worth of Rs 3 lakhs have gone. Until now, there is no sign of recovery, even though we complained to police authority. But after that incident, not able to describe, my wife and I have become Sai's devotee. My daughter too. According to us, HE is our mentor.

After some time, we paid advance of Rs 1 Lakh for buying a flat in Chennai. But there were legal problems and the construction was stopped. So, we cancelled the booking. But till now we do not have the advance money back.

In addition, in the recent past, I have been undergoing terrible pressure and unnecessary tension in my life, which includes continuous misunderstanding between my father and mother. I am also having a very uncomfortable and disturbing time in my office (without promotion for the past 4.5 years) and high non-cooperation from my colleague, who has been ungrateful to me, even though I protected him when he was under terrible distress.

But in spite of all, I am able to survive, only with the grace of Lord Sainath. He is somehow pushing me and hence is living. I continue to visit his temple in our city and I get mental strength to get along. If HE decides to make me good from all my loss and relieve me from my mental agony, he will do. One day HE will shower his grace on me. Sai, please be with me, my wife and daughter and parents, brothers and sister always. Dear Sai devotees, please for my relief from all these problems. Your prayer will be priceless. Om Sai Sri Sai Jai Jai Sai.

Sai devotee
Omniscient Sainath: I have been praying to you every waking hour, not for myself but for a talented child in the family who has been denied US visa twice. I pray to you again to be kind to this sweet child, by arranging things in way best for his future and happiness. I have seen many difficulties, battled breast cancer and survived by your grace, Sainath, but do not break this child's heart. He is innocent, kind, loving, and he doesn't deserve to be victimized by circumstances beyond his control. I pray to you Sri Sainath, for this child's future. Time is running out, please bless him and bestow what I've been asking for him. It is true that I am constantly at your door, asking good health, to remain cancer free, but this time asking not for myself, not for my selfish self, but out of love for this child. Please heed my call, SAI...
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Quotation of the Week
"If you so loved your mother, why did you take Sannyasa? Fondness or attachment makes ill of an ochre garb." - Saibaba of Shirdi to Sannyasi Vijayanand
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Question of the Week

Q. Why did Baba discourage the practice of Yoga at the same time was seen performing Yogic practices such as Khanda Yoga and Dhauti?
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Sai Activities

Saidarbar Hyderabad
On August 25, 2002, Saidarbar participated in the Dattatreya Homam conducted by Sri Sri Sri Anagha Gurudatta Samsthan, Hyderabad -35. The web site for the samsthan http://www.gurudattapaduka.org was inaugurated by Shri.Vedururu Narayana Rao (Author of the GuruCharita in Telugu) after the Dattatreya Homam. For further details about the Samsthan write to kroviddis@rediffmail.com.

SAI'S NEWS FROM THE TIME MACHINE:
Shravan 1912: Gurusthan Padukas were installed under the neem tree in Shirdi.
Shravan 1914: H.H.Shri.Vasudevananda Saraswathi (Tembe Swami) left for His heavenly abode at Gardueshwar on the banks of river Narmada in Gujarat at the age of 80 years.
Shravan 1941: Shri.Narayana Maharaj of Kedgaon left the mortal coils at the age of 56 years at Bangalore.

Shirdi Sai Baba Chitra Yatra, Toronto, Canada
Devotees in TORONTO, are invited to please join us in Sai bhajans, Sai Namavali, Saicharitra readings Aarti and Prasad at Durga Mandir 2691 Markham Rd. Unit #5; Ph: 416 754 2983 every Thursday from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Devotees may participate in Shri Shirdi Sai Chitra Yatra currently underway in Toronto. To invite Baba to your home and for further details and directions contact Shammi Chopra at 416 402 8089 or shchopra@trebnet.com or visit www.saibaba.org

Shirdi Sai Baba Prayer Center, South Brunswick, NJ
Saibaba.org invites you to join for Sai puja, bhajans, Saicharitra readings, aarti and prasad every sunday at VFW hall at Henderson Rd, Kendall Park, South Brunswick, NJ from 3pm-6pm. For further details or directions contact Kumad Sachdev at (732) 257-1438, Shyam Addanki at (610) 648-0191 or email us at maildrop@saibaba.org.

Shri Shirdi Sai Chitra Yatra 2002 in UK
Devotees may participate in Shri Shirdi Sai Chitra Yatra currently underway in UK. To invite Baba to your home and for further details please contact Manu Bajaj at bajaj_manu@yahoo.com or call at +44 7905 933 489 in Wembley, UK

Shri Shirdi Sai Chitra Yatra 2002 in USA
"Shri Shirdi Sai Chitra Yatra(Pictorial Journey)", started in USA on Jan 01, 2002. With anchor points across USA concurrently participating from day one, this unique event is off to a great start.

The journey which involves the ceremonial travel of Baba in the form of a portrait will stop at all Baba devotees homes who are interested in being a host to his protrait. The Yatra which will run till fall of this year, is open to one and all. There is no fees or charges involved to take part in this event. You may participate either as a host home or serve as an anchor point in your community.

Vist online at yatra page for all the details and to register.

For questions, comments, suggestions or to get details on an Anchor home in your area, send us an email at maildrop@saibaba.org with the subject line of "Shri Sai Chitra Yatra".
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