Sri BV Narasimhaswamiji began his divine mission of spreading Baba's compassion and love several decades ago. He still is revered as one of the most inspiring Sai devotee that stands as a towering beacon inspiring many others to tread his path. Mere instruments in the hands of Sadguru, several have knowingly and unknowingly contributed to the spreading of Sai movement all over the world. When the pursuit is experiencing the love of Baba and sharing sadguru's bounty with fellowmen, this in itself becomes Sai prachaar.

Advent of information age spurred the Sai movement in unique ways. In 1996, Shirdi Saibaba Website Organization, the first of its kind, was founded in Chicago, IL, USA. The website org. evolved into Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha a non-profit organization and has been involved in various Sai activities since then. By the grace and blessings of Saibaba and the support of Sai devotes across the world, memorable occasions were celebrated including Sai Utsav 2000 in USA, Sai Utsav 2001 in Australia, Sai Utsav 2002 in Kenya and South Africa, Shirdi Sai Chitra Yatra in USA in 2002 and 2003.

Inscrutable are His ways! The divine grace of Saibaba now manifests as blessings on Sai devotees of Chicago and suburbs and Shirdi Saibaba temple of Chicago and Suburbs is being inaugurated on August 19th 2004 at 12N 950 Route 47, Hampshire IL 60140. Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha invites you to the inauguration and Pran Pratishtha at Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs on August 19th 2004 by Guruji Shri C.B.Satpathyji. The program starts at 8.00 AM and includes Bhoomi Pooja, Kalasa Pooja, Kumbhabhishek, Pran Pratishta, Arati and Mahaprasad. The evening program from 6 PM starts with Bhajan Sandhya, Discourse, Shej Arati and Mahaprasad. Please visit http://www.saibaba.org/temple.html for more details, contact information and directions or call 847-931-4058. Bow to Sri Sai. Peace be to all
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Contributed Article: Divine Reflections

With abundant love in your heart,
You never tire playing your part.
Showering your mercy on the good, bad and ugly,
In times of distress, holding us snugly.

Your pristine gifts -Mother earth and nature,
Take care to nurture every small creature.
With Roses are thorns, to add to its beauty,
Your divine presence is felt in serenity.

When life is blissful and times are cozy,
We seldom thank you for all that's rosy.
Gladly we give in to satanic deeds,
And rarely give thought to others needs.

If all of us are your true reflection,
Why is there hatred, and unkind affliction?
Shower us with wisdom of peace and kindness,
Bestow the strength to spread happiness.

(Contributed by B J Padmaja)
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Experiences of Devotees:

Shubhangi
I had heard of Sai Baba of Shirdi. To me he meant nothing. Just another saint or 'pir' 'fakir' people talk about. We had a neighbor who religiously visited Shirdi for Baba's darshan once or twice a year, and I wondered why? I had great confidence in myself. Life was perfect. I had a wonderful family to support me, and slowly and steadily, I was reaching milestones on my journey through life. Sai Baba and such crutches were for the weak, for the troubled souls. They were the 'other people'. They say 'Time' is an unbiased leveler. Good, Bad and Fair times come in every persons life. I was passing through a very low and traumatic phase in life. I had gone to Mumbai and my sister and her husband were going to Shirdi for Sai darshan. Upon their insistence, I accompanied them. I had heard of Sai Baba, I was particularly depressed and with a hope to find spiritual solace, I thought I must visit the Sai Baba shrine at Shirdi. Inside the Sai temple, I looked around with detached curiosity at the temple structure, the devout crowds and was puzzled at the emotional outbursts of some persons who sobbed their hearts out as if in the arms of their loving mother or father. I wondered why people say that inside that temple a feeling of intense calm envelops you. I did not experience anything of the sort. I left Shirdi not impressed in the least with Sai Baba's presence.

After this Shirdi visit, I was returning to Delhi by the Mumbai Rajdhani. I was traveling alone and my co-passengers were young men on office tours or business trips to Delhi. Before retiring to my berth at night, I secured my suitcase with a chain, to the hook under the seat. This chain was a heavy-duty chain with an in-built lock of four combination numbers, bought in the USA, where they use it for locking bicycles. I remembered the combination number used for locking and unlocking the chain by-heart since I used to use the chain, on all journeys, for some years now.

In the morning when the train reached Mathura and we had only two or two and a half hours to reach New Delhi, I decided that I should open the chain-lock and keep the suitcase free to disembark when we reached New Delhi. When I tried opening the lock with the combination lock number, it would not open. After trying a few more times I became a little tense and tried aligning the numbers for the lock more frantically. The young men traveling in the compartment were engrossed in business (shop) talk. When one of them noticed me struggling to open the lock, he offered to help. I told him the number and he tried opening it, a few times, with no success. Slowly all the other young men got interested in 'the case of the non-opening lock' and tried their expertise, but the lock would not open. Then some one confirmed whether the combination number that I remembered was correct. By now, tension was writ large on my face. I was worried at what I would do when the train reached New Delhi. When the pantry car fellow came one young man asked him to send someone with the toolbox to break the chain (though I had my doubts, that the chain being so strong, would not break with ordinary tools). About an hour passed, the lock had not opened and no one came with the toolbox. All the young men were busy chatting and one of them was busy turning the disks of numbers around without even looking at the lock. I could sit idle no longer and got up to look for the train conductor in the adjacent pantry car. He told me that there was no toolbox on the train and he would send someone at the New-Delhi station. I now almost panicked. I knew that none of those helpful young men would wait for me on reaching New Delhi since they would rush to their offices. If no railway person came with the toolbox, I had no option but to leave the suitcase behind.

How would I carry home all the stuff inside the bag, without any-thing to hold it in? I was feeling very lonely and helpless. It was then that I remembered Sai Baba. In my mind, I fervently folded my hand and said, " Dear Sai Baba, I came to Shirdi to meet you. But I was not convinced of your presence. If you are there, please help me today." Then I sat quietly on my seat not really knowing what to do. It was now fifteen minutes to New Delhi. And then suddenly there was a miracle. The lock fell open in the hands of the young man who was turning the disks round and round for almost an hour now. He was not even looking at the disks or making any conscious effort to align the numbers of the combination code. I do not know what is the mathematical probability of correctly aligning a desired four digit number from four disks, each having numbers from zero to nine engraved on them, by randomly turning the disks around and not even looking at them. To me it was a powerful signal from Sai Baba that he was there. And he has proven true to his assurance, two more times when I was in great difficulty.
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Devotees say...

Satya Mohanty
My dear Baba, Whatever I am today, it's because of your blessing. You have changed our life so much and we feel your blessings in every moment. I have a serious business problem and I feel completely disappointed. I need your kind blessings to solve this problem. This business is not mine, actually you won it. So please fix this problem.

Sai devotee
Dear Baba, I have been your bakht since I was a child. At every step, you have done wonders for me and have always protected me. Please help my husband to change his mind and clear it from small discrepancies in life. I have been praying for him. Sometimes I feel he is carrying lots of baggage from his childhood. Please let him have faith in people. Sai bhakts - please pray another human being to join the faith of sai baba. I am sure baba will help me in this and guide my husband and son in the right direction. They hurt a lot of people and I hope this will be the last. Sashtang pranam mere Sai baba.

Bhanu
My Beloved Swami, Koti Koti Pranam at your Lotus feet. Have been with You for the past many births . I forgot my indweller Guru for a little while but thank you for taking back in your fold. As you know life has not been easy and I just need you love, blessing and daya dristi so that the family is cared for. We are all your children so forgive for all my mistakes and lead me to a stronger person to bear the ups and down in life. Read Sai satcharitra and Tapovanam within the time frame. Hope it was done correctly. Waiting for your dharsan and guidance at the end of Purshotam Sravan mas Heart Felt Love to You My Dear Swami.

Usha
Shirdi Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai. Baba you saved my son from the accident. Thanks baba. Please be with him always and give him strength to study and get a job. Baba please also look after my sisters in India. I am not able to help them from here. You know everything baba. I am depending on you for everything. Koti namaskarams Sai maha prabho.
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Prayer Club:

Devotee from Japan
Dear Baba I have started reading your Sai Satcharitha, I really enjoyed reading it and felt very moved. I need your blessings. You know my problem. Please solve it as soon as possible. I want my daughter to be in good health, and I want a Boy baby. Please Sai Baba bless me soon. My mind is stressed. I don't want my daughter to be alone in this world. You must take care of her. I will read your Satcharitha every day please bless me. Please give me another baby. I know anybody who comes to your feet will be successful always. So please give me your blessings.

Sai devotee
Baba please bless my brother in law help him to get a good job within this week. Help him to get a job with which he can protect his family.

Sangeetha
Baba please let me get a good job please.

Shree
Sairam, after a lot of introspection I am putting forth these lines. Being 'antaryami', I often wonder, why is it that we undergo these turmoils in our life. What I earn is short of enough to provide necessities for the family. My husband has been out of work for the past several months, and is unable to find employment to bring in substantial income. You very well are aware of how things have been with us, right from the beginning. The only silver lining(s) in this cloud are the two beautiful children. But they are enduring the most of our depression. Please swami, enough, I don't have any more saburi, I am at the end of my line, willing to jump, the only deterrent being my children and lack of courage. When will this end? These days I don't even feel like reading the Satcharitha, I am frustrated and exhausted. I have been having both my hands up, for a long time now, begging for your grace. When will you look kindly on us? Please either release us from this misery or kill us all, me, and my family and release us from this bondage.

Murthy
My lord, let me do things with my highest integrity and honesty. Rest you take care. What ever luck I have in my name please give that to my wife and my son. You have been kind to us, to let us come out of all the rough period. Request you to also cast your shadow on my younger brother and let him settle. Take care of my second sister. I am happy with what ever is given to me by you.

Keshab
Baba help us to find out good jobs. We are never successful to grab the opportunity which we are aiming to have for long time. My wife is also very hard working woman and most of the time she will be occupied with her official assignment but she does not get support from her office. I also worry when I think abut my family and remember you at the middle of night. Now I do not see any chances in my life. Give me courage and help me. Om Sri Sai Ram
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Quotation of the Week:
"Meditate on what you read and think of God"-Sai Baba of Shirdi
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Question of the Week:

Q. How far is the practice of seeking answer to a specific question by turning a page of Sai Satcharitha OK?
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Sai Activities:

Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Shirdi Saibaba Sanstha invites you to join in Inaugration and Pran Pratishta of Shirdi Sai temple at 12N950 Route 47, Hampshire, IL 60140 by Guruji Shri C. B. Satpathyji on Thursday, August 19th 2004. Temple open daily for Darshan from 7am to 9pm. Visit online http://www.saibaba.org/temple.html for program details, directions and address or please call 847-931-4058 or 847-464-1278 or send an email to maildrop@saibaba.org.

Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan of Canada
Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan of Canada is pleased to announce the visit of Guruji Shri C.B.Satpathy ji to Toronto on August 21st and 22nd. For program details please contact Shammi Chopra at 905-887-1752 or send an e-mail to saileela99@yahoo.com.

Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Minnesota
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 contact hamaresai@yahoo.com, or call Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center at 952-938-2983, and to read the monthly newsletter Sai Sandesh, visit www.hamaresai.org.

Shri Shirdi Sai seva camp, Krishna Pushkaralu - 2004
With the grace and blessings of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba and with the divine inspiration given by Guruji Shri C.B.Satpathy ji, it is proposed to run a multi service camp in the name of Shirdi Sai during Krishna Pushkaralu from 27th August to 8th September, 2004 at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. This is similar to that of Kumbh mela which comes once in 12 years at Nasik, Haridwar, Allahabad(Prayag) and Ujjaini. We appeal to the devotees to take part in the proposed camp in whichever way the merciful Sai inspires you. We pray and wish that you would join us in this noble endeavour to serve humanity in the name of Shri Shirdi Sai. For further details and enquiries, please contact Shri Shirdi Sai Kalyanam Trust, 7-46A, Vasavi Nagar, M.R.Palle, Tirupati - 517 502, AP, India. Telphone: 91 877 2244123 Mobile: 91 94402 73873 email: saichandrabhanu@rediffmail.com
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