All those who came to test,
As they reached the steps of Dwarkamai,
And came into the holy presence of Shri Sai,
Themselves got transformed,
And throw themselves at His feet;
All those who came with doubt,
As they came into His presence,
Themselves got transformed,
Bowing at His holy feet;
All those who came with disease of body,
As they caught His glance,
Themselves got transformed,
With diseases cured;
All those who came to become holy,
As they came into His contact,
Themselves got transformed,
Into holiness as holy as was He;
All those who came for worldly desires,
As they climbed the steps,
Themselves got transformed,
With all their heart's desires fulfilled!
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Contributed Article: Let Thy Will Prevail

We crave Lord Almighty to solve our problems and grant our desires as per our wishes. Many a time Lord obliges us and concedes our demands as long as they are compatible. All the same God Almighty being our benevolent father or mother, He is also the sole Judge and hence, He decides matters objectively in our best interests and needs. This may not be in accordance with our desires and wants. Enveloped by our biases or vaasanas, we cannot know what is good for us or what we deserve. In our own way thus, we have coined the proverb, " Man proposes, but God disposes", indicating our dismay at God's decisions. We should only appreciate that God disposes in our own interest. This understanding gives us enormous peace of mind and avoids needless frustration and disappointment, when things do not happen as per our wish. That is exactly why our wise saints and elders of spiritual maturity have said, "What ever happens is for our good."

I wish to give one of my experiences in this context. A close friend and colleague of mine Dr E.V.V. Bhaskara Rao for whom I have lot of affection, regard and appreciation was chronically sick. He fractured his thighbone and hip and was bed ridden for quite a few days. He underwent a complicated surgery for bone fixing and was being treated for various other associated health complications in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Kasturba Hospital at Manipal in Karnataka in India. I was very much worried about him and prayed Bhagawan Sai to protect and heal him. I collected udi or vibhuti and prasad from Shiridi and on March 12, 2003 went first to Puttur (Karnataka), the seat of the National Research Centre for Cashew of which Dr Bhaskara Rao used to be the Director. From there, I reached the Hospital at Manipal on March 13, 2003, accompanied by his family doctor and other colleagues. On our way to Manipal, I enquired about Dr Rao's state of health. His family doctor, however, did not give a very rosy picture of Dr Rao's health.

Nevertheless, I hoped that Baba would cure him. After reaching the intensive care unit of the hospital, I was lead to the patient. He had an over grown beard covering half of his face and his entire face was totally covered by oxygen mask. Hence, he was unable to talk. I took his hand into mine and said, " Be brave. You will recover by Baba's grace." I kept a picture of Lord Sai Baba under his pillow and smeared his forehead with Sai's vibhuthi. He held my palm tightly and did not release it as I stood besides him consoling and encouraging him. As it was the ICU, I was not allowed to stay long with him and had to leave after a few minutes. Outside the ICU, I talked with Dr Rao's wife and the attending doctors for quite some time. Again, I felt a strong urge to see Dr Rao once again. At my request, the attending doctor took me inside the ICU to Dr Rao's bed. Amazingly, this was a different bed and I found to my embarrassment that the patient whom I visited earlier and consoled was not Dr Rao, but some one who resembled him very much. The attending nurse also mistakenly showed me the wrong bed. As his face was totally covered with the beard and an oxygen mask and due to the close similarities with Dr Rao, I took him for my friend. Nevertheless, I had another picture of Lord Sai and some Sai udi left with me, which I gave Dr Bhaskara Rao. Dr Rao was cheered up after seeing me and talked with me for a while despite his delicate health. As I smeared udi on his fore head, I told him, "I am praying Lord Sai Baba and I am hopeful that you would get well." That sparked off a cheerful broad smile on his face and he was very happy to have seen me. I returned to Hyderabad on the evening of March 14, 2003 praying for the recovery of both of the patients that I visited in the ICU of Kasturba Hospital at Manipal.

Amazing are the leelas of Lord Sainath. Dr Bhaskara Rao, my friend passed away on the morning of March 15, 2003. It appeared as though he was just alive to see me! I enquired about the other patient whom I visited mistaking him for my friend. I was told that despite a very precariously serious condition through which he was passing through, the patient with whom I spent some time with a mistaken identity, recovered well. Now, I understand that Lord Sai sent me to him purposefully to convey His blessings! Incredible and inscrutable are His ways! Later, upon detailed enquiries about the causes for such a rapid decline in the health of Dr Bhaskara Rao, I was given to understand that he had multiple problems viz., weak heart, high blood pressure, diabetes, damaged liver etc., which made his recovery very difficult. Although I was sad over the demise of my friend, I was happy that the other patient whom I visited recovered due to Sai's grace.

We can see such instances from Sai charitra in the cases of famous Sai devotees viz., Kaka Saheb Dixit, M.W. Rege and Bayyaji Appaji Patil. Despite their personal tragedies, their faith in Bhagawan Sai never wavered. They realized that He is the sole and the best Judge, for He knows what we need that may not be what we desire. Hence, He disposes matters objectively in our larger interest. Hence let us pray, " Let Thy Will Prevail!" That releases us from the earthly bondages and strengthens our faith in Him.

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

Kusum Ahuja
Om Sai Ram, Thank you Baba for saving my brother. My brother met with an accident and got unconscious. One auto-rickshaw driver took him to the hospital immediately and got him treated in an emergency. After regaining conscious, my brother called his friends and that auto-driver handed over everything (that belongs to my brother) to his friends and went quietly without telling his name and whereabouts. My brother reached home safely after that. I know that Sai Baba Himself had come in the form of that driver to save my brother because my brother does not even think badly about anybody. We are planning to come to Shirdi by grace of Sai Baba. I pray to Sai Baba to make our journey safe and happy. Om Sai Ram.
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Devotees say...

Mithun Boda
Thank you very much Baba, with your blessing I could successfully submit my project and according to my vow I am writing this experience here, thank you Baba, Jai Sai Ram.

Savita Jayaram
Baba is the Supreme Master. There is none equal to Him. His fame is spreading like wild fire through out the world. Everywhere people are realizing His greatness. As days go by, I feel I am drawn closer and closer to Him and He is continually responding to my prayers in some subtle and unforeseen ways. True to His words, He speaks from His tomb. The troubles and tribulations of life seem like nothing because He is has always been reassuring me of His presence in my life. I have no concerns for He is my caretaker. I am so grateful to Him for His all-encompassing compassion. I continually remember Him and think of Him. I cry like a child in front of Him for I cannot bear to be separated from Him. But He reassures me that He dwells in my Heart and is not far from me. I seek nothing else but that my faith be ever steady onto His feet and my love and faith for Him increase every day. I only seek that my life be filled with His bhajans and satsangs and meeting with like-minded devotees, Sai bandhus and saints who are dear to Baba and His living image and will guide us in the path of Sai devotion. For this, I am also grateful and indebted to Sai Vichaar and Saibaba.org for they bring such people close to me. Baba please continue to bless me thus, remove any trace of ego and ever guide me, a complete ignoramus in the path of devotion to you.
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Prayer Club:

Sai Madhu
Baba, you know what I want in my professional career. Please bless me that I achieve it this year. Please show a direction to my husband's job, he is very frustrated with the outsourcing of his company's projects. Please bless my son with health. We dedicate his life to you.

Sai devotee
I pray to your lotus feet Baba. Always bless me and be with me. Few days back when my dad was sick I prayed to you to help him recover and you did! By your grace, he is back home now. Baba you know the problem with my husband and his job, Baba please shower your mercy to help my husband secure a job close to home and to hold on to it for life.

Sona
Sri Saibaba! I am going thru a tough time in my marriage. Please Baba help me and make my husband realize that what he is doing is wrong. Baba please make my relation with my husband good. Sainath please save my marriage and fulfill my wishes of having a good happy life with my husband. Please bless me Sai.

Babajammi
I know you are with us but I am very upset for not earning money, I don't have enough education to do job what to do I want to help my husband, you are with us in my home what problems we are facing right now, nobody understanding us everybody saying we are wrong. If we are wrong please help me Saibaba we love you so much.

Rohini Bhise
Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai. Koti Koti Pranam Sri Sai Baba. Please bless my sisters to get them married this year Sai Baba.

Mamata Adoor
Dear Sai, we want to have a child, Please Bless us with child. Please bless us with child. Sai devotees please pray to Sai. For myself and my husband that we be blessed with a child.

Visaalakshee
I have written two papers and am expecting my results anytime now. I have done my best with your blessings. Please Sai! I beg you to help me pass these two papers in the first attempt itself and help me to prepare for my third paper.

A Sai devotee
Baba please accept my prayers at least this time. Let our site-dispute problem be solved as early as possible. Baba please make the other party realize that they are unnecessarily troubling innocent unrelated people, which may not be good for them too. Baba we believe that only you can get us out of this problem.

Pooja
Thank you the weekly dose of Baba, I am intoxicated with Him. I request that Sai devotees pray for me as I am going through a rather tough life with work. A project has given me a loss of 12 lakh rupees which was my savings. Please guide me Baba and help me face all trials and tribulations with faith, patience and courage.

Sai devotee
Baba, Thank you for everything that you have given me. My husband and I could not have not come all this way without your love and guidance. We have been married for 6 years now, please Baba, help us have a baby. Please let me be pregnant now. I am so scared that I may not be, that I am scared to check. Please bless us with a beautiful baby girl.
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Quotation of the Week:
"God is not so far away. He is always near you"-Sai Baba
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Question of the Week:

Q. What does sai give us? That what we desire, we wish or that which he thinks is best for us?
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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: Monthly (second sunday of every month) Pooja, Sunday June 12th, Samuhika Satyanarayan Pooja on Poornima day, Wednesday June 22nd.

Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Minnesota - Guru Poornima 2005 - Sai Utsav
Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center invites you to a daylong festival of Sai Utsav on occasion of Gurupoornima on Saturday, July 23, at BAPS Mandir, Brooklyn Park, MN. The events includes havan, Sri Sai sathyavrata, Sai arthis, abhishek, cultural program, palki procession and Sai naama jap. Please write to hamaresai@yahoo.com for more details.

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.

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of DFW, Texas
Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of DFW is located at the north west intersection of Custer and Parker road in Plano, Texas. The temple is open daily. For temple hours and other details please visit http://www.shirdisaidallas.org or call 469-467-3388.
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