One may conquer the whole world. Praised, showered with flowers of fame and money. But what is the use of all these things if there is no Grace of God. Zero (0) will get value only we put one (1) in front of that. Similarly, whatever we do or achieve in this world will not remain with us without God's grace.

Many are forgetting this fact and doing all kinds of harm to others by using their fame, money & position. Those who claim as devotees themselves forgetting this truth after leaving the Shrine or Holy place. We are always forgetting the fact that God is not limited to one place or region. He is our indweller of heart. Every action we are doing is known to him. Today many are thinking that hallmark of devotion is wearing rings, malas, or any other outside show. But most of us forget the fact that not all these things will bring GRACE OF GOD. Good actions, noble feelings, thoughts, compassionate heart, helping nature etc. will bring the God's grace. Whatever happening in this world is like passing clouds. Many leaders came and left. Many spiritual masters came and left with their teachings. But all of them taught, "Without the Grace of God nothing is possible".

By banning all our ego that "we are the managers, owners or Millionaires or Lord of Lord etc. and surrender to our Beloved Sai in our heart mandir and seek His grace always. OM JAI SAI RAM

(Contributed by Sri K.G. Ramaswamy)
Back to Menu

Contributed Article: Bhakthi

Long ago, a great number of rats dwelt in a dilapidated building full of rat holes close to mountain-stream. They collected lot of foodstuffs in the holes from the neighboring groceries shop and welt in apparent peace. The mountain-stream suddenly swelled one day and the floodwaters washed away all the rats dwelling in the holes. They died almost instantaneously and floated along the water. But one rat managed to scramble onto a huge log of wood that came along with the wave. Finally, the log was washed ashore and the blessed rat alone was safely deposited on the sandy bank of the river while the others perished. Similarly, The mountain-stream is compared to this terrible samsara with waves of Raga-Dvesha. This dilapidated house (earth) full of rats (human beings) in rat holes (towns, villages and cities). The people become busy in greedily gathering the objects of this world unconscious of the terrible stream of Raga-Dvesha. Finally, all perish except the one who got onto the huge log of wood i.e., Bhakthi. This blessed soul quickly stands upon the log of wood (Bhakthi) and finally reaches to the shore of Immortality unaffected by the current of Raga-Dvesha. The pleasure one gets through physical, mental and intellectual pursuits are transitory. "Yogashemam Vahamyaham" does not mean that the Lord will ensure for you happiness and joy but it means that he endow you with steady unshakable peace and inner equanimity. Yoga means the acquisition of that which do not have and kshema means the preservation of that which you have acquired. So, Lord will ensure that you acquire the Shanthi (inner peace) that you do not have and create conditions under which you can preserve that Shanthi. You can get this greatest happiness (inner peace) by knowing that you are the Aathma, which has no birth or death, no joy or grief. Aathma is the underlying source of all the anandha that the jeevi experiences. Become aware of the God in you and God in all to attain the real joy and peace.

The sadhaka must culture the mind as the farmer does culture the field. The farmer has to clear the field of thorny undergrowth, wild creepers and tenuous roots. He has to plough the land, water it and sow the seeds well and guard the seedlings, tender plants from insect pests as well as from the cattle by putting up a fence. So too, a sadhaka has to remove egoism, pride and greed from the heart; do the ploughing and leveling of sathya, japa, dhyana (truth, repetition of Lord's name and meditation); soak the heart with prema and make it soft and rich; sow the seed (nama) and the sprout is bhakthi;fence of discipline is built from the cattle i.e., kama and krodha. Finally, the sadhaka will enjoy the harvest i.e., anandha. Your heart must be pure and the mind must be clear to grasp the fact and get faith that God only is the creator, protector and annihilator of this universe.

Drive the intellect, the mind and the senses from inside but do not try to guide them from outside. Do not seek more and more sukham but seek more and more jnanam. The desire enters the consciousness softly, silently and holds out prospects of pleasure and joy and finally results in loss of contentment and peace. The mind is stuffed with desires and it takes on the form of the desire that fills it. The task of the jnani (man of realization) is ManoNasanam i.e., wiping out all traces of the mind. The technique of Mano nasanam (destroying the mind) is to remove the desire one by one like you remove the yarn from the cloth or like you remove air (Nirvana means without air) from football so that it will not move from place to place.

Board the train of saalokya (constant thought of Godhead) that will take you to the station, saameepya (nearness to God) and saaruupya (Earn divine attributes). Do not give up your journey until you reach your terminus where ignorance dies and jnana is born. Never give down in the middle stations even though Calumny, scandal, loss, dishonor, poverty, distress, fame, pomp and triumph call on you to alight. Finally, you reach the terminus, saayujya i.e., the individual Aathma is experienced as a wave of the ocean of paramaathma.

Death is the removal of the soiled shirt and Birth is putting on the fresh one. Let the divine mother do this for you. Have full faith in her love and wisdom and be a child in her hands. Be an instrument and submerge your will in the will of the Lord that will save you from worry and pain.

(Contributed by Sathyanarayana Raju)
Back to Menu

Experiences of Devotees

S.Pavulraj, Kuwait

I am a sai devotee now working in Kuwait. I have many problems here in working place. One month back, I wrote through this web site my request and it was published. Thursday I made the final decision. I kept Sai photo in my pocket and discussed my problem with my superior in the office and even the tough my boss accepted my request. This miracle Sai only can make. My wife in India fully prays sai name the wholeday. Finally, Sai made success our kind request. Another experience, my brother planned to build a house. Before I came to Kuwait, some formal poojas done. I put the same sai original photo (Standing with umbrella) and we all prayed. Then next week I came to Kuwait. Then after 6 months house works all finished and the housewarming ceremony was held. A great wonder the priest that came to perform poojas wore the same Sai photo dollar in his neck and did the poojas. The priest is very new man engaged by my relative. My brother called and informed this message to me. I am very happy to share this experience with other sai devotees. Jai Sai Ram. Now every second I think Sai. He never leaves his devotees. Thanks and congrats for running this web site in an efficient manner.
Back to Menu

Devotees say...

Sai Ratnakar
I need help from all devotees to send details about their city Sai temple, location, website, contact numbers,poojas/aarthis performed, significance if any, if possible a photo of Sai Baba in that temple. Where there is no temple, please send me information about any Satsang activities conducted in your area/village/township in USA. My email id is: rkarumuri@yahoo.com. I bow to the lotus feet of Shri Sai Baba and pray to him to help me in this work.

K.Ramaswamy, Chennai
Dear Saibandhu Charu, what you have visualized in the dream of "Lord Sainath Blessing you", shows your deep faith in Him and your husband's devotion to Lord Sainath. Always meditate Him in your mind. He will take care of you. Nothing to worry further on this.
Back to Menu

Prayer Club

Mahesh Kumar
Please answer my prayer and save me from the difficulties and tension. Help wit my brother's job, my sister's marriage and help with disposing the plot to raise the money. We have nobody except you.

Ananthashayanam
Om Sri Sai Ram. Baba, My son is having exams from 5 March 2004. Baba, please help him to write the exam and bless him to write properly. Baba, please solve my financial problems. Baba, please give good health my sister who is suffering from paralysis. Baba, please give good health to all the members of my family. Baba, my brother is not having a good, Baba, please bless him a good job. Om Sainatha bless all the members of my family with good health. Om Sai Sri Sai Jay Jay Sai.

Nyoma Apriani
I want to say thanks to Baba and pray for the welfare of my parents, parents in law, Rohaniah and Jasmine. I hope that Baba will bless me with a son and make us happy. Thanks for everything.

Satya
Baba, You know what's going on in our family. Please be with us and guide us.

Sonika
Dear Devotees, I am requesting all of you to pray to Shri Sainath Maharaj to shower HIS grace on our family. We are going through very difficult times in our lives, I am not able to practice Shraddha and Saburi without constantly doubting my self, and if my devotion in BABA is strong enough to pull us out of this situation. I fail to understand HIS sense of justice, as there is no end in sight to our problem where as some people are just prospering. I beg HIM to punish me if he chooses but not prolong the sufferings of my family.

Shiban
Om Sairam Baba, please help us baba, please help us to achieve our goals, baba you know everything about my family situation. Please help us baba please be with us. With my daughter and son as they need you more. Please be with them. Om Sairam. Please take care of everything Baba.

Vijay Kumar S, Tanzania
Dear Shiridi Sai Baba, this is Vijay from Tanzania, Africa. Actually, my hometown is Hyderabad, India. Here I am facing lot of problems, in official and personal too. I am very much attached with my family. As my chairman promised me that he will send my family by April 2004. Now I am in dilemma that he won't send. Please help me in this regard as well in my business too help me to achieve my goals. As you know about myself. I am your Devotee since 1992, when I was in India I used to come Shirdi to see you once in every Quarterly. Now I cant come since am so far. Even though when I came to see you last year I have buy one Vigraham of you and doing pooja at my home itself and on every Thursday am doing Milk Abhishekam and at night Sheja Aarthi. and daily am studying Sai Sacharitha in the morning. You know Baba sometimes my mind goes somewhere while reading the Sai Sacharitha. Please help me in this regard too - As you know all this. I know you are helping me in all aspects. But sometimes I feel that you are ignoring me. Of course I may did something sin to you - am your just like son, if at all I do please ignore me Baba. Please help me Baba - I need u more please be with me all the time Baba. I hope you will be with me Baba. And also one earnest request, please keep good health to my entire family and other too.
Back to Menu

Quotation of the Week
"What God gives is never exhausted, what man gives never lasts"-Sai Baba of Shirdi
Back to Menu

Question of the Week

Q. How to differentiate between love and attachment?

A. by Sai devotee

The difference between love and attachment is so subtle, we often confuse ourselves many times over it. If we love someone in spite of his or her nature, it is true love, but if we love someone because of his or her nature it is attachment. In attachment, we love a person because the person maybe of our own nature, or we maybe related to that person, and etc. There is always attachment form of love. Whereas, in Baba's love for us, he loved us in spite of our demerits or shortcomings. His love is unconditional. It does not mean that we should be neglectful of other people's wrong actions; instead, true love means that we should be able to tell them good. It prevents us from developing resentment or hatred on the people whom we do not like. Baba in his teachings, taught us that the attachment form of love could be practiced as a means to the goal of true love. In Sai Satcharita, Baba says, "My guru told me to give and to give, but there is no one asking for my spiritual treasure." So, all of us should practice to turn our attachment to true love, at every level of our life. It makes our lives more peaceful and joyful.
Back to Menu

Sai Activities

Shirdi Sai- Ramanavami celebrations in Bay Area, CA
We welcome all of you with family, to join us for SHIRDI SAI- RAMANAVAMI celebrations in the Bay Area, CA on April 3rd (Saturday) in Sunnyvale between 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Venue: Las Palmas Park Building, 850 Russet Drive, Sunnyvale, CA (Located off of Remington Dr. and Spinosa Dr.) For more details please send email to saibandhu@yahoo.com

Sri Ramanavami/Urs Celebrations, Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Minnesota
Shirdi Saibaba Prayer center, Minnesota invites Sai devotees to participate in the Sri Ramanavami/Urs celebrations on Saturday, April 3, 2004 at Geeta Ashram, Brooklyn Park, MN. The event includes, Sai aarthis, Devotees' experiences, Bhajans, Kirtans, Chandan Utsav and Palki Procession. Please write to hamaresai@yahoo.com. Regular Sai activities in the Twin Cities, MN are being conducted at Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, 725 Lake St NE, Apt #139 Hopkins MN. For details, please visit www.hamaresai.org or write to hamaresai@yahoo.com. Or call Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center at 952-938-2983.

Sri Rama Navami Celebations, Toronto, Canada
SHIRDI SAI BABA SANSTHAN OF CANADA, requests your benign presence on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami Celebrations on April 3 2004 and our weekly Thursday Prayers to receive Baba's blessings. For more Details please send us an email: saileela99@yahoo.com or call us at 905 887 1752
Back to Menu

You may subscribe to receive the newsletter by e-mail.

Fill out your e-mail address and hit the subscribe button: