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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 thanks you for your support for the Question of the Week feature. This feature is intended to initiate useful discussion on topics related to Sai philosophy, His message, and Sai devotion. Please send your suggested topics for the same. We also hope to see more use for the Sai activities section. This is a good opportunity to spread the word about various activities, celebrations, and festivities of Sai centers across the world. Postings on Sai activities are very useful for new visitors and for those who would like to know more about Sai activities in their and other areas. The "Question of the week" for the week is, Q. What is contentment? 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:
Shake the Fear!
Fear is one of the qualities that could drive a person to the level of insanity. Fear manifests in different ways and forms and may lead to other vicissitudes such as anger, greed, lust, etc. Freeing oneself of the fear that lies deep within becoming the cause of various unwanted traits is a must for any serious spiritual seeker. Fear of the unknown is the biggest cause of misery. People make their lives miserable because of fear. Fear can be fought with Faith and Patience. With Faith that all that will happen will be for one's own good and patience that it will happen when the time comes for the event to happen will go a long way to lessen the agony and pain that one harbors in their lives. Shri Sainath gave the lesson of Faith and Patience not as mere words to be remembered once a while or read in books, but to continuously put them into practice. Though very easy to read and understand the dictionary meaning, they are the most difficult to practice in one's life. As one tries to practice these two qualities, they discover that the harder it gets to deal with them. At times it goes to such an extent that Baba's dictum seems more philosophical than practical. It is for this reason that Baba left a series of stories to serve as an example to inspire his followers. Patience is merely not just waiting but also actively believing that God is with them and will help them against all odds. Keeping faith alive against all odds in prayer and experiencing all difficulties that may come is Patience. As Baba says, Faith and Patience are like twin sisters, one cannot live without the other. Where there is no faith there is no patience and vice versa. The difficulties that do come in our lives are a result of our own past actions and the results of those have to borne as explained by Baba in Satcharita. So there is no point in arguing why difficulties or unhappiness comes, it is a fact of life as any other fact. Dealing with it in the way prescribed by Baba is the key to burden and live it when sorrow knocks on the door. When one walks on the path laid by Baba it is invariably noted that slowly but surely the fear that was lurking behind slowly disappears and one starts becoming free of the burden and sing joyously in honor of the master who is ever ready to lead all those who approach Him.
Contributed Article: Sacrifice!
Last year someone asked me, "What is sacrifice?" My internal belief about the subject at the time was a negative one and so was my reply - "It is the giving up of something I wanted or desired." Then, earlier this year, I read the Shri Sai Satcharitha for the first time and Baba explained the true meaning of the word - sacrifice.
Sacrifice is the giving up of oneself for the sake of another. This is the same as "love". Add to this definition, without the expectation of reward or reciprocity (renunciation) and you make this love unconditional. Therefore, true sacrifice is unconditional love.
Lord Krishna said this in the Bhagwad Gita and Sai Baba lived it in Shirdi everyday. Many times, Baba accepted the offering of some, rejected, and scolded others for offering the same. Why did Baba behave this way? What was the difference between the sacrifices of one compared to that of another? The difference was intent.
Those who gave with a pure-mind, with love and devotion, he accepted willingly. However, if the same was offered with an ulterior motive, ego or pride, he rejected it. It was not the action itself or the magnanimity of the action that mattered, it was the underlying "reason why" for which the action was offered in the first place.
Practicing austerities and penance, doing various works of charity, offering other methods of sacrifice or doing nothing are all human acts. It is when these actions are performed with love and devotion, without the expectation of reward (however big or small or noble) that they become a true offering, a true sacrifice, a true surrender - an act Divine. "Whosoever offers to Me, with love or devotion, a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, that offering of love by the pure-minded I willingly and readily accept." - Bhagwad Gita
Ask the one question Baba always asked of his devotees, "Who am I?" The answer to this question unveils the personal attachment, the subtle hidden expectations and the internal reasons behind actions, an intent that cannot be masked by the human mind's Maya.
It puts on our actions a spiritual value - not in terms of time dedicated or money donated or desires given up, but in terms of the unconditional love contained within our actions. This "value" is the real currency for attaining the spiritual goal of life - self-realization, or spoken differently - realizing the Sai within ourselves.
(Contributed by Vipul Thakrar)
Srinivasulu Sai Devotee M K Raina Devotee Sampa Sai devotee Mani Asha Sai devotee Surbhi Supraja Sai devotee Devika
Quotation of the Week:
Q. What is contentment? A. by SL Abhyankar One direct guidance by Baba on contentment is in the 25th Chapter of Shri SaiSatcharita. The instance is of consultation sought by Damuanna Kasar of Nagar on the proposal of his friend in Mumbai for indulging in forward trading in cotton. Baba reacted to the letter even before Madhavrao read it to him. And the reaction was, "It seems, he wants to aspire for the sky. He does not seem to be content with what God has given." Another instance is of Baba's advice to Hemadpant after retirement of the latter. Baba advised that Hemadpant should thereafter be devoting himself to rendering service to Baba. Actually doing service to Baba was doing service to the Lord Almighty. So Baba's advice implied that Hemadpant should be fully involved in spiritual pursuit. If so, his worldly needs would be taken care of by the Lord. This faith is another level of contentment. Baba advised likewise to Dasganu Maharaj also to be free of his Governmental job. Dasganu Maharaj aspired very much to rise to the level of police inspector. He undertook the challenge of tracking the dacoit Khanya Bhilla. It was only by Baba's grace that he was saved from the jaws of death. We must have faith that God knows what is good and what is not good for us. A Zambian lady told me a very interesting instance on this. When she was small, her mother used to fetch water from the stream. One day, when she was returning home across a bushy footpath, she stumbled and fell down. Impromptu she muttered, "Oh, God! I need to go again to the stream and make another trek with the heavy pitcher!" Just when she was so murmuring a big serpent hissed across the footpath. It was as if the God said, "Be still and know that I am God. I know whether you should step and risk being bitten by the serpent or whether it is better that you should fall down and let the serpent pass by." God has His own priorities, who should pass across the footpath first, the serpent or the lady! Be still and know that I am God! Significance of the way, Baba chided with Hemadpant in Chapter 24 goes even beyond contentment. Madhavrao spotted some groundnuts on the sleeve of Hemadpant. And when Hemadpant lifted his hand more groundnuts fell out! Baba made a jocular remark, "Such is his habit, that he eats all by himself." Hemadpant reacted to say, that such was not his habit. Basically he did not know where the groundnuts came from. He had not bought any. He didn't even know where the market in Shirdi was. But Baba said, "Don't you eat such nuts, when you are all alone, all by yourself? Do you remember me at that time? Does not that then become eating by oneself?" What great import is implicit in this comment by Baba! When putting anything into mouth, just remember Him. Then you are not eating by yourself. What you eat, automatically becomes an offering to Him. In Chapter 20, Baba advised Dasganu Maharaj to go all the way to Kaka Dixit's place in Vile Parle to learn the significance of Ishavasya-Upanishad from a maidservant girl. Interestingly, what is 'consumption' in the theory of economics is connoted by the word "Bhunjeethaah" in Ishavasya-Upanishad. If every consumption is consumed with the sentiment of "Tyaktena", offering to God, the contentment deriving from such consumption is limitless. One reaches the state beyond contentment! Q. What is contentment? A. by Sakshi Sareen To define Contentment is not easy but it literally means, desiring no more than what one has; satisfied. It is true wealth, not possessions. How you enjoy your riches depend on how you define contentment. A person's life does not consist of the abundance of things, which he possesses. The only way we can truly be content is if we are absolutely sure that God is in control, and that he desires only good for us no matter what may happen. Then we can be content to wait for the resolution of problems and know that eventually something will come of it. Trust him, and he will show you his great and mighty works.
Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA Upcoming Event(s): Monthly Pooja (second Sunday of every month), Sunday November 13th, Samuhika Satyanarayan Pooja on Pournima, Tuesday November 15h Evening and Thanksgiving day Special Pooja Nov 24th Evening. Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Minnesota Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Shirdi Sai Satsang, Bay Area, California Shirdi Sai Satsang, Ontario, Canada Shirdi Sai Satsang in Vancouver, BC, Canada Sri Shirdi Sai Mandir, Scarborough, Canada
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