Jahan karam chhuthaa hain punya ko
Aur dharam chhuthaa hain bhakthi ko
Sayee wahan tumhaara aashish hain
Sayee wahan tumhara aashish hain
- Guruji C.B. Satpathy ji

Oh, Sai! Let Your blessings be upon us
As our deeds lead to noble consequences
In the path of devotion for that is our only righteous duty
Oh Sai! Let your blessings be upon us!

Intense pursuit of at-one-ment with Sadguru leads a saadhaka to completely believe that it is the Sadguru that defines every deed and to him the consequences are credited to. His reminders of our spiritual duty in the path of devotion are perhaps the only cognizance a saadhaka should pay attention to. There is no need for any other form of discrimination. A diligent focus on this simple truth should eventually dismiss all other forms of discrimination. What is more futile than spend a life's time on the convenient facts, the concoctions of the intellect! Faith, patience, humility, love and compassion by any definition are indiscriminate expressions that Sadguru requires of a devotee. These expressions have only origin not a destination, just like the warmth of the sun and the comfort of a cool breeze. Indiscriminate!
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Contributed Article: My thoughts about Living with Sai

Some devotees may ask as to why Sai Baba encouraged tobacco smoking. My understanding is that he never encouraged smoking tobacco. On the contrary, he discouraged smoking. He was not a habitual smoker. Occasionally He used the chilim as a spiritual exercise to relieve the ailments, apprehensions, doubts, and sense of insecurity of his devotees. This we can notice from the experience of Dadasaheb Khaparde who clearly stated in his diary that with one puff of the chillum offered by Bhagavan Sai, all his doubts and fears vanished leaving him in blissful condition. Similarly, some of His devotees suffering from asthma and other diseases were cured of their ailments with one or two puffs of the chillum offered by Sadguru. Here the important thing is the will or Sankalpa of Bhagavan Sai, but not the puffs of smoke. He clearly stated that the tobacco of ignorance should be burnt by the fire of devotion to Sadguru (Guru bhakti) to attain bliss. He prevailed upon His devotees to abhor and give up all bad habits such as consumption of alcohol etc. I am of the opinion that living in Sai means giving up all bad habits and maintaining outward cleanliness and inner and purity.

Sai Baba stressed internal or inward purity i.e., purity in thought and deed. How can we control the thought process to achieve purity of mind? I am convinced that Sai naama smarana, Sai chintana and Sai charitra paaraayana will certainly purify our thought process. Once I surrender my mind to Sai, how can it harbor negative thoughts and emotions? As Achaarya Ekkirala Bhardwaja has put it in his book Sai Prabodhanaamritam, our internal garden i.e., mind needs regular cultivation and weeding i.e., elimination of weeds in the form of negative tendencies by spiritual trial i.e., Sadhana through Sai-tatva. Devotional study of 'Sri Guru-charitra' and 'Sai satcharitra' helps us a lot in purifying our minds.

Baba attached great importance to the study of Sri Guru-cahritra, which is considered the best spiritual tonic promoting the seeker to acquire the nine forms of devotion, about which Baba indicated to Anantha Rao Patankar and Laxmibai Shinde. As we can see from the episode of Kushabhau in Sai life history, Baba decried exhibition of petty miracles and foretelling fortune to attract people and over-awe them. He did perform miracles not to impress any one, but to help His devotees and inculcate faith in them. Behind every miracle that He performed, there was a definite spiritual cause. Living with Sai means not to run after those who perform petty miracles and foretell fortune, but to have steadfast faith in Him, who is the Savior. Baba also taught us not to hanker for mantropadesam, i.e., instruction in the form of mantra or hymn, but to develop Sraddha (faith and dedication) and Saburi (patience tempered with courage) with total devotion to Him. We Sai devotees are indeed extremely fortunate to have Lord Almighty Himself with us as our Sadguru. Baba is appearing before His devotees, whom He considers His children, to guide them in the right path. Did He not say, "Even if my children are thousands of miles away, I would cross oceans to be with them and guide them." Thus, He instills tremendous degree of moral courage and confidence in us. What more do we need? Where is the need for us to run after the above-mentioned mirages?

Baba discouraged laziness and exhorted His devotees to cultivate good work culture. He cautioned His devotees whenever He found them turning lazy. He set an excellent example Himself by developing a beautiful flower garden and Lendi Bagh at Shirdi by dint of His hard work. He encouraged the study of sacred spiritual literature viz, Eknathi Bhagavath, Panchadasi, Guru-charitra, Vishnu Sahasra Nama, Bhavaartha Ramayana, Bhagavad-Gita, Jnaneshwari, Guru Granth, Qoran, Bible etc

Sai Bagawan Himself got done paaraayana of sacred Raama Vijayam a few days before He entered Maha Samaadhi. Paaraayana of Sai Satcharitha and Guru-charitra is an essential part of Living with Sai, which helps us to experience Sai-sannidhi. The importance Baba attached to paaraayana of spiritual literature can be gauged by the benefit accrued to Saint Vijayanad in the final days of his life at Shiridi under His guidance.

Sai would be very pleased to see His children discharging their duties and responsibilities without any deficiency. In other words, He would say, " Do your duty well. Don't bother about the reward or fruit of your action!" just as preached by Gitachaarya Lord Krishna. Craving for substantial quantum of fruit or profit for all our actions is a normal tendency of most of us. Ironically, however, none of us can determine objectively, as to what should be the fruit or return for our actions. This is so, as we are influenced by our tendencies or biases (in other words vaasanas), in our judgments or assessments. The term "objectivity" is relative in human transactions. There is hardly any absolute and total objectivity in our dealings. Barring Spiritual Masters, who represent Almighty God, all other human beings are influenced by their vaasanas, which are the consequences of ones own past karmas. That is why Lord Almighty has said in Bhagavad-Gita that we have only liberty for action; but not for its fruits.

"Karmanye waadhikaarasthe maa phaleshu kadaachana,
Maa karmaphala hertubhu maate sangosthwa karmani"

If you tell your son that you would gift him a motor cycle if he scored high grades in the examinations, the boy would get busy with learning to drive the motor cycle and manipulating a driving license rather than working hard in his studies! Such is the case of a person craving for reward or profit for his actions or duties! You can see that performance in one's duties becomes least important and the end i.e., profit and gains are assumed to be the most important, unfortunately! If we analyze it with a bit of Catholicism, we can understand that we really do not know what we need! What we need is not the same as what we desire. Our desires and wants keep on changing from time to time. Therefore, one should perform his or her duties dispassionately, to the best of one's intellect and leave the grant of fruits to Lord Almighty Sainath, Who alone determines as to what we deserve (to be continued)

(Contributed by Maddipatla V. R. Prasad)
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Experiences of Devotees:

Eruku Srinivasa Rao
I have been a Sai devotee for 10 years now. I am suffering from an irregular heart beat for the past 6 months. Few days back it was a little serious and that day I prayed to Baba to help me with this problem and also vowed that if it reduced I would post my experience on Sai Vichaar. Then I was casually watching TV and I saw a beautiful photo of Baba in the film and it was there on the screen for about 40-50 seconds. I can never express in words what I felt at that time. And the next day onwards my problem reduced totally; I am feeling much better now. Baba is always there for all of us and He will surely take care of his children; there is no doubt about that. May Baba bless us all; thank you Baba for everything; Om Sri Sai Ram.

Meenakshi Dixit
I want to share one of my experiences I had very recently. For quite sometime, I was looking for work and though I had enough skills and experience and sometimes my work experience even matched the employer's exact requirement still nothing would materialize. I always wanted to send a prayer to Baba through the newsletter, thinking that it's like submitting my worries at his feet in Shirdi but whenever I tried to send through the prayer it would never go always there was some kind of technical problem with the website or my internet connection. Things became so hard in my job search that lost all hope that I would ever work again. I am Baba's little daughter I know that for sure but I didn't understand why He wouldn't listen to my prayers I fought with him, cried, begged and did everything possible but still there was no answer. One day I saw this job Ad on a website and casually applied for it and I immediately got a call from the agent, I was so depressed that I didn't even try to impress her and at times I was not able to even answer her correctly as I was so detached and kind of dejected. Back of my mind, I would just think why Baba is testing me this way where did I go wrong. The next day I got a call from the same agent saying that the client wants to interview me. That was the only interview call I got after I started searching for job for almost 2 months not that they weren't enough jobs in my area, I was very nervous felt like this is the 1st job interview of my life and as I talked to the Manager I came to know the duties I am supposed to do and I was shocked as I never did anything like that before. It is kind of a senior role and I made up my mind that no way I am eligible for that role and I was relieved that I need not worry about the outcome of this interview as its so obvious that I can't manage those responsibilities. Two days later I was going through Baba's newsletter again and thought that I should try sending the prayer once again and wrote just few lines which I didn't even try to go through before pressing the Send button to my surprise it did go! And I thought that is it...Baba did accept my request and sooner or later He will look into it and it's up to Him now. I also read the Sai Amrithvani. After I finished reading Sai Amrithvani, while having my lunch my phone rang, and it was from the agent saying I was offered the job. To conclude I would beg all of you to have faith in dear Baba. At times, we do not understand His ways but one thing is sure He is very much there listening to each and every thing you think and desire for He takes you seriously even if you don't. Bless me Baba that I do my best in this role and end up successful. Bow to Sri Sai and Peace be to All.
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Devotees say...

Krishnaveni
Whatever Baba has just done to me is unbelievable. Thanks for helping me get a home. From being nowhere with no money, I will end up in a home thanks to Sai and his blessing. He is a living god and I hope he helps me spread his love to the needy.

Sai devotee
I had a wonderful experience and I wish to share that with my fellow devotees. My Friend had a miscarriage in the middle of her pregnancy. But with Sainath's Krupa she conceived again and I wanted everything to go on well for her. So I prayed to Sainath and completed reading his Satcharitha in 7 days. What a surprise, when I heard the news about her pregnancy I was reading the chapter about Mainathai's safe delivery with Baba's aashirvadh. So that gave me confidence. But when she was in her 18th week, test results showed that the fetus might have genetic problems. So I prayed to Baba again that I would write about his miracle if everything were alright. Do I need to say that the further test results showed that everything was OK. It was an error on the part of the lab technician that caused all the problems. Shri Saibaba continue to bless her and thank you very much for being with us and please continue to bless everyone.

Geetha
I have so many experiences where I felt that Sai Baba is protecting my family. Earlier my work involved traveling and I was missing my daughter a lot. At the same time, I always wished to have another child, which was only possible if I get a local project. I prayed Baba and he made my wish come true. Last year I got a local project and we were blessed with a son last month by Sai's grace. My mother's US visa had been rejected twice and with Sai's blessings she got her visa stamped this year.

Amit Mahan
In all the years of my life, I always saw Baba's ways as like any other guru. But as my needs to fulfill my spiritual void, he became the answer and I admit that he has taught me to accept my situation, good or bad and draw strength from his teachings. Even as today I face hard times currently his love, devotion to prayer and belief in his devotees has given me the ability to face adversity with confidence. Thank you Baba .
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Prayer Club:

Prabhavathi
I know my faith has been wavering and I get angry with you when I do not get what I want. Please restore my faith in you. I have tried reading Satcharitha but nothing motivates me and after reading a chapter or two I give up. Please help me Baba.

Neelima
Please make my parents understand that I love him, and please convince them, so that they can get me married to him. Their only problem is that he is of a different caste. Please erase this feeling of caste difference from their minds. Your Grace will work wonders. Please help me keep my calmness and please help me be positive in this situation.

Vanita Kishan
Dear Baba you know I am undergoing a great mental tension I have no peace of mind I do find a little peace when I read the Satcharitha but then it is back to square one Baba please restore peace in my house.

Lavi Vanka
Sai, I bow at your lotus feet begging good health for my daughter.

Gayathri Vekateshwaran
Baba Please help me to solve my problem. Please help my brother to get good name in his office and help him to get promotion. My daughter should speak well. I bow to you Baba. Please help us.

A Sai devotee
You know the problem, which our second daughter is facing. A man with whom she came in contact few months back has enamored her, the man is very unsuitable for her. He is a divorcee and has had several affairs with other women. Baba, you are our only hope. You have always rescued all of us in the past.

Puja
Hey Sai I have no words to say for your miracles. I prayed last Thursday to you about my sister and by this Thursday she is on a new life. You gave her a big promotion, changed her living place, made her book a new house and also made her forget her bad past. She is happy and I am so amazed that how accurately You answer to the prayers of your devotess. I was so worried about my daugther's health, You yourself miraculasly put a message of her health on this prayers club which I wrote long back but never appeared. By Your grace her fever is gone and as I prayed to You on Wednesday that get my daughter's teeth out from her gums as she is almost 1 year and has no treeth, and today morning that is Thursday you made her teeth come out from her gums...that is unbelievble. I am writing on this prayer club as promised. I cannot describe what I feel. Baba give my daughters current sickness to me and put her at comfort. You can see how restless and in pain she is. Baba, my father, my brother, my everything please be with me always, bless me and my family and this world. Save people of this big virus called Meningitis. Baba bless my father and heal him from his uncurable sickness and take care of my mother as we leave as she does, else we have no existence. Love you baba.

Hari
Oh Sai! Thanks for answering our prayers. Oh Sainath, please protect us from bad elements and we were so worried about it. I request all Sai bhandus to pray for us.
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Quotation of the Week:
"There is a wall of separation between oneself and others and between you and me. Destroy this wall!"-Saibaba
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Question of the Week:

Q. How is believing in miracles helpful in one's spiritual growth?

A. by Anjali Gadiraju

I have not written anything before but I hope everybody accepts my answer. When any child cries and asks for something for example, food or toys, mother of the child runs to get what her child needs, and to get that sometimes she has to bear some pain. However, this makes the child to love mother without question, have trust and patience that mother is there and going to solve his problem. It is the same way Saibaba worries for all his devotees and fulfills all wishes to give maximum happiness and show us the right path. And he teaches the same to us that we should have Shradha and Saburi for the guru as the child has for his mother. Sai baba is mother to all his devotees. He shows us right path by making us fall on our wrong path, the same way any mother will scold her child for doing anything wrong. And the miracles, which we feel as miracles, they are actually mother taking care of his child. However, as we are human we call them miracles, so guru by showing those miracles increases our faith and unquestionable love in guru as we have on our mother. I find miracles everyday in every small incident; I just say Sai's name and things are there for me. For example asking the train to reach on time to my work place, getting a desired seat in library to sit and study, praying my food should taste good, my husband should not scold me for some wrong I did. Baba is there with us always and will always be there until we have trust and patience.
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Sai Activities:

Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Shirdi Sai temple is open daily from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. Daily program includes Kakad Arathi at 7:10 am followed by Abhisek. Madhayana Arathi at 12 noon, Dhoop arathi at 6:00 pm and Shej Arathi at 9:00 pm. 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.

Upcoming Events: Samuhika Satyanarayan Pooja on Poornima (Monday), May 23rd, Sri Hanuman Jayanthi on Wednesday, June 1st.

Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Minnesota, USA
Regular Sai activities in Minneapolis, St.Paul area 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.

Shirdi Sai Satsang, Toronto, Canada
Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan of Canada invites all to join us for Satsang every Thursday 6:30 PM at 147 Winston Castle Drive, Markham, Ont. L6C 2N4. For details on other Activities and Services please call Shammi Chopra at 416-402-8089 or send email to saileela99@yahoo.com

Shirdi Sai Satsang, Bay Area, California
Shirdi Sai Parivaar invites all to join us for Satsang every Thursday 7:30 pm at Odd Fellows Temple, 20589 Homestead Road, Cupertino, CA 95014.For details please call 408-564-6704 or send email to saibandhu@yahoo.com or visit www.ShradhaSaburi.org

Sai Satsang, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Shirdi Sai devotees in Vancouver, Canada invites you to join in for satsang with your family and friends every Thursday 6:30 pm at 8571-118 A Street, Delta, Vancouver BC V4c 6l2. For more information please call Ritu (604) 592 4182 or Panna (604) 501 2687 or email at dritu@hotmail.com.
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