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Sai Vichaar 01.Feature of the Week: 02.Contributed Article: 03.Experiences of Devotees 04.Devotees Say 05.Sai Activities 06.Prayer Club 07.Quote of the Week 08.Question of the Week 09.Subscribe to Sai Vichaar 10.Email Newsletter to a friend 11.Submit Articles to Sai Vichaar 12.Un-Subscribe Sai Vichaar 13.From the Editor's Keyboard 14.Disclaimer From the Editor's Keyboard... Sai Vichaar hopes that readers and devotees are enjoying Sai leelas being presented in the Contributed Article section as "Sai Guru Charithra". Sri Dasganu Maharaj has written a total of three books in Marathi. Seven chapters have been selected from these three books and translated into Telugu. by Sri SVL with Preface by Sri Sainathuni Sarathbabuji. These chapters are as follows; the 57th chapter of 'Sant Kathamrit' published prior to 1903; the 31st, 32ndand the 33rd chapters of 'Arvacheena Bhaktaleelamrit' published in 1906; and the 26th, 52nd and 53rd chapters of 'Bhakti Saaramrit' . Sai Vichaar is profoundly thankful to those great souls that embarked on getting rare literature of Saibaba to everyone's reading pleasure. Saibaba Mahasamadhi celebrations for 2004 are celebrated during October 21 through 23. Please write to Sai Vichaar about Mahasamadhi celebrations at your local Sai communities and share with other Sai devotees. Sai devotee Usha Viswanath wrote the following "Question of the week"; I think Sainam is a powerful mantra and say it whenever I can. If I am afraid of a terrible situation, will it help me by chanting Sainam? Sometimes I am just afraid and my mind remains a blank in spite of my faith in Baba. It is another thing that Baba still helps me. Q. How does one develop the habit of chanting Baba's name, Sainaam incessantly? 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 saibaba.org is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.
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Feature of the week:
What? Surrender?
What is surrendering to Sadguru? As said in many instances, is it following Sadguru to the letter, in thoughts, words and deeds? If so, is it an easy task to be able to do it? How many births would it take to garner this as an enterprise? An ambition or a life-long mission with the intellect unleashed? Someone that can line up his thoughts, words, and actions is a Yogi, someone that has achieved a state of continuum with the infinite. This is harmony in its most perfect state. Such specks of truth are rare. Sai Satcharitha has examples of those souls that surrendered completely to the will of Saibaba and for them everything else was secondary. Do we know if they followed the principles of thoughts, words, and action? No! Once, Nana smitten by the beauty of the lady that visited Saibaba was having difficulty to curb his enthusiasm. Baba commented that it is the nature of the mind to be restless but body should be kept in check. Is there any advice that is more practical? It is with such messages that Baba taught the practical way of living and not through any metaphysical rigor. Fortunate are those devotees that had the bounty of Sadguru's physical presence and guidance in their daily lives. For they didn't have anything except implicit faith in Sadguru's words and the loving disposition to make Sadguru happy always. For them, nothing else matters. It is not known whether surrender might be a lengthy process of stepwise accession well spelt and guided in the light of scriptures. But, when love for Sadguru is sparked in the hearts and when the spark flames into eternal fires that consume everything on its way in hunger for Sadguru, surrender sure happens unsolicited without even being aware of it.
Contributed Article: SRI SAI GURUCHARITRA -Chapter I(Continued from Last week..)
I will now tell you what happened later. You, the audience are generous people, you are wisdom personified. I am but a child in front of you and you are most generously and lovingly listening to my prattle. Please listen to what I will tell you next with a good and tolerant heart.
Kondya (Kondaji) was an ardent devotee of Baba. Baba once told him, "Your hay stack at the Kalwadi(the joint place where all the hay of the villagers is stocked) has caught fire. Go and extinguish it and come." Kondya was worried and ran to the Kalwadi. He returned and said, "Baba, you made me run to that place unnecessarily in this burning sun. The only things burnt are my feet from running there in this hot sun. There is nothing burning there as you said." Baba retorted, "I never utter an untruth. Go and see your hay stack again." Kondya turned back to look in the direction of the Kalwadi and saw smoke arising from there. He ran there in panic and saw his stack, which was in the middle of all the stacks burning. It was mid summer. The noontime sun was burning down fiercely with its unkind rays. The wind was blowing with great speed breaking trees and it looked as if some disaster was looming. The flames of the burning haystack were leaping skywards as if to join the sun. All the villagers came running to Baba in great distress and fell on his feet. They started weeping, "Baba, oh thou ocean of mercy, what is our fate now? The Kalwadi is burning. It is our life. The whole years feed for the cattle is stored there. If it is burnt, what will the cattle eat? They will all die. Please do something and save us from this calamity. You are verily the Hari, the abode of all knowledge." Baba's heart melted seeing the piteous condition of his devotees. He acceded to their prayer graciously and went to the Kalwadi.
He took a little water in his hand and sprinkled it around the burning haystack. He said, "Only this stack will burn and none other." All the other stacks will be safe. Do not trouble yourself unnecessarily by pouring water over them. What I say will happen." It happened as Baba said. Only Kondya's stack was burnt and all the other stacks were safe in spite of the wind, which was blowing at great speed. All the villagers we euphoric as their stacks were safe and the cattle had sufficient feed for the coming year. Baba had kept fire in his control. The nature itself obeys the great saints. Even the creator of the world and the embodiment of satchidananda- Sri Hari is ever busy in the service of such saints.
On one evening, Nanasaheb Chandorkar, who was a tehsildar by then, had come to Shirdi along with a group for the darsan of Sri Sai Baba. Baba said, "Oh thou good man, son of Govinda, Narayana, the jewel in the family tree of the Chandorkars! Have you seen how selfish the people are these days? Today, the haystack of Bhagchand Marwadi burnt to the ground. He is pestering me about his loss. Births and deaths, profits and loss are all by the will of the almighty. How easily do these blind people forget the almighty? They are happy when they get a profit and cry if they get a loss. Is there any meaning in the word 'mine'? We assume that the haystack is his. But in truth, it is to sustain the cattle by feeding them. It is propagated by the seed, which falls to the ground. After the seed is put in the ground, the clouds release rain, which make it bud. The sun by its gentle rays gives it life and nurtures its growth. The true owners of the seed are those that nourish it- the earth, the rain and the sun. However, these ignorant people boast that it is theirs. By the intensity of the heat of the sun, it caught fire and the fire ate up the hay. The earth suffered the heat patiently. The clouds were unaware of all this. They are like the children of pride. They delight in the evanescent beauty of the lightening and as the foolish lover enmeshed in the beauty of women, have no eyes for good or bad which happens to the others. As the clouds were looking on heedlessly, the sun seized his opportunity and burnt the haystack. The earth gave shelter to the ashes as it had given shelter to the seed or the hay with the same equal eye on all. We are not the masters or the owners of the things of this world. You tell him not to grieve unnecessarily. He has been weeping and coming to trouble me ever since this incident has happened.
The Almighty gives with one hand and takes away with the other. The feeling of happiness or unhappiness which people have as a result of this is born of ignorance." Baba turned to Bhagchand Marwadi who was nigh and said, "Oh seth, go home and sleep without a care. This loss will be set off by a profit in another business. Do not worry." Consoled, the seth went home.
(to be continued)
(Contributed by Source: "Sri Sai Gurucharithra" originally by Santkavi Sri Dasganu Maharaj. Translated from Telugu version by Sri SVL)
Mithun Boda Ganesh Babu Suju A Sai devotee Sai devotee A devotee Sai devotee Renu Prem Jayashree
Quotation of the Week:
Q. How does one develop the habit of chanting Baba's name, Sainam incessantly?
Mahasamadhi celebrations in Chicago, USA Shirdi Sai temple is open daily from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. Daily program includes Kakad Arathi at 7am followed by Abhisek. Madhayana Arathi at 12 noon, Dhoop arathi at 6pm and Shej Arathi at 9pm. Archana, Homams, Sahasranama and sponsored poojas continue in between the Arathis. To request a pooja for yourselves, your friends and family, please call. Devotees can request water (Abhishek Jal) from the Holy bathing of Baba by sending us an email or by phone. Temple is located 25 minutes drive west of Schaumburg on intersection of IL Route 47 and Plank Road in Hampshire, IL. For more information please call 847-931-4058 or send email to maildrop@saibaba.org. Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Minnesota - Mahasamadhi Celebrations 2004 Shirdi Sai Mahasamadhi and Dassera Celebrations in Bay Area, CA Shirdi Sai Mahasamadhi and Dassera celebration in Sydney, Australia
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