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Sai Sai
Baba Newsletter March-April-May2011
Shri
Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan Los Angeles' email newsletter is sent every
month to propagate the teachings of Shri Shirdi Sai and connect the
devotees of our Baba temple. Devotees may kindly send their articles on
any section of newsletter by emailing the same to newsletter@shirdisaila.org.
"Oh,
blessed Sad-guru Sai, we bow to You, Who have given happiness to the
whole world, accomplished the welfare of the devotees and have removed
the affliction of those who have resorted to Your Feet. Being very
liberal and being the protector and saviour of the Bhaktas who surrender
themselves to You, You incarnate yourself in this world to oblige the
people and do them good.- Chapter 38, Sri Sai Satcharitra "
Sections
From our Temple
Life of Sai Baba
About Shirdi
Sai Baba Says
Experiences, Saileela
News and Events
From our Temple
Dear Devotees, With Baba jee's blessings, our temple today adorns a beautiful new look -
room expansion in front, a place for dhuni, a shikhar on top, new permanent shade. During the last few months, devotees had a little tough time while in temple (we had insufficient rest-room facility and drinking water facility during this construction work). But isn't it all worth, when our eyes fall on the beautiful new home of Baba. Baba, may your home only grow and grow, may your glitter outshine the brightest sun.
We know, Baba cares little for all this paraphernalia. But like a mother who gets happy seeing her children dressed beautifully, we too yearn to have Baba's grandiose visible to the world. We would like to inform our devotees that the inauguration function
i.e Shri Shirdi Sai Shikhara Prathishtapana is scheduled in Summer 2011. We will keep you informed on the exact date and schedule soon Please come to see Baba on this occassion. And come with your bags empty, for He is there
to shower His blessings in tonnes and tonnes. Baba bless you.
Sairam
Life of Sai Baba
Success Begets Success
...............
............... As Baba's having wealth and a royal darbar was misunderstood by some, we are obliged to stress again the following facts that prove that Baba was a Janaka Maharaja and continued to be a Divine Samartha Sadguru carrying on the noble work referred to already. Baba had no attachment and so could handle wealth and make it run into and out of his hands without danger of being tainted. He was a perfectly realised soul in the perfect laya stage as disclosed by his words Main Allahum that is Aham Brahmasmi. For such a person, Srimad Bhagavata says, danger of attachment does not arise. Baba told the sadhu Devadas59 that fakirs and hermits must avoid the upadhis, namely, Moha and pomp. But in Baba's case, at the latter end of his life, pomp was thrust upon him and had a useful purpose to serve. Till then Baba avoided pomp. He would not even sit on a chair or lie on a cot, but sat and slept upon a sack cloth or gunny mattress placed on the floor. He would not put on his head the crown or regal dress when the devotees wanting him to look like a Maharaja, brought these for him. Nor would he accept or allow other royal insignia upon his person. When a silver-plated palanquin was brought to him with its small silver horses as appurtenances, he refused to receive it, and said that he did not want to sit in it. The devotees then said that he need not sit in it, but that his picture would be placed in it, and that it will be used for the procession. Even then he would not allow the palanquin into the Dwarakamayee, and so they had to leave . the palanquin in the open yard in front of his Mosque. At night some of the silver horses were stolen. The devotees noting it were very sad, and came to complain of it to Baba. But Baba asked them, "I say, why was not the whole palanquin stolen?" That is, to Baba it was a matter of utter indifference whether palanquins or silver articles or any other things were provided or not provided, were stolen or remained safe. He lived as a true sanyasi up to the end of his life on Bhiksha food. Of course, it is well known that when people go out for begging bread, all sorts of things, insipid, or even partly rotten, are given as Bhiksha especially to beggars. In the case of Baba, who enjoyed more respect than beggars, rotten things would not be showered on him, but many people, who were content to eat rather ill cooked and tasteless or insipid food, would bestow part of their stuff upon Baba also. Yad annah purush bhavati, tadannah tasya devatah that is, what we eat, we give to God. That is why the hermit is directed in Uddhava Gita6" Stokam Stokam Graset Grasam Deho Varteta Yavata Grihan ahimsan Atishtet Vrittim Madhukarim Munih this means, the sage should observe the Madhukari system in begging for food. He must take little doles from several houses, without taxing them too much. He must take only what is absolutely needed to keep body and soul together. About Shirdi
WOODEN COT After
Baba took Mahasamadhi on 15Ih October, 1918, (Tuesday) at 2.30 PM His
body was laid on this wooden cot for three days, till 17Ih October, 1918
(Thursday). As there were differences between His devotees as to where
to intern Him (Ref. ESS, Ch. XLIII & XLIV), on this wooden cot His
'ast bath was performed. With due formalities His body was brought in
procession to Dagdi Wada (Samadhi Mandir). In the Garbha Gruh i.e.
central portion reserved for Murlidhar "is samadhi was made.
This
cot was previously in Dwarakamai now it is housed in the Chavadi. Every
Thursday it is taken out and placed in front of the Chavadi and Baba's
palki is placed on it. After Arati this cot is placed along the western
wall of the Chavadi.
Source - Adopted from Ambrosia In Shirdi by Dr.Vinny Chitluri, this book can be read
at http://saileelas.org/books/ virtual guide on Shirdi with lots of rare photos on Baba Sai Baba Sayings
True Happiness
114. Question by N G Chandorkar: Joys and sorrows of samsara disturb one so much. Should we not renounce samsara therefore? Answer by Baba: Joy and sorrow are mere delusion. Mere appearance of worldly joy is not true happiness. The worldly man is forcibly drawn to it, as he believes it to be true happiness. According to the Prarabdha of each, one gets delicacies (Panchamrita), one, stale crumbs, and one, mere bran-gruel. the latter fancy themselves unhappy at that, and the former fancies he lacks nothing. But the result of eating any of these is merely the satisfaction of hunger. some cover themselves with laced shawls, others with barks. Both serve only one purpose, covering the body. This joy and this sorrow is due to opinion, which is mere illusion and is ruinous. Whenever any idea of joy or sorrow arises in your mind, resist it. Do not give room to it. It is pure delusion. The ‘Shadripus’ i.e., Lust, Anger, Covetousness, Delusion, Pride and Jealousy) are all delusive. they make the unreal appear as real. if a rich man wears a gold ornament, the poor man gets jealous, and thinks he must have one. This is Lobha. All are like this. so one must conquer the six enemies. if they are conquered, waves of passion will not arise. Else they will enslave you. If they are sub-ordinated and reason made the commandant, then the delusive pressures and pains will no longer hold sway over you. Sai Babas Charters and Sayings
From the book (The God and the Apostle) - By Pujyasri B.V.Narasimhaswamy Published by All India Sal SamaJ, Chennai. Experiences, Saileela
DEVOTEES' EXPERIENCES -
(10th. 20th, 25th, 28th MAY 1936)
Professor G.G. narke, m.a.,(cal.)m.sc.(manch), Professor of Geology & Chemistry in College of Engineering, Deccan Gymkhana, age 53, Brahmin, Poona.says : Experiences
with saints and progress In one's spiritual affairs cannot be
revealed. According to the (hackneyed) saying of Kabir ‘What one has
got, he keeps secret.' This has been the strict injuction of my teacher
Sri Sal Baba. The mouth instinctively closes when I try to mention my
experiences. I can and may give some superficial account of occurrences
and things concerning Sal Baba. These are well-known and no rule of
secrecy is violated thereby. But they are chair and hardly worth any
trouble to write or talk about. Yet as you are keen after any bit of
information I shall mention some of such facts. Of course, the deepest
experience one has is Incabable of utterance, apart from any question of
rules of secrecy.
In
the first place, you see I have placed Sai Baba amongst the house-hold
Gods we worship daily at home. Sai Baba is God - not an ordinary
Satpurusha. The divine gleam in Sal's eyes denotes that He Is the
Satpurusha. His powers and actions were wonderful. I will give a
chronological account of my spiritual leanings and how I came into
contact with Sal Baba.
My
early surroundings promoted faith in Sal Baba. My father-in-law,
Mr.Buty, my wife and my mother were all great devotees of Sai Baba and
worshipped him as God. I used to read Jnaneswari and other works which
deal with
greatness of Satpurushas.
In
1907-9 I was at Calcutta and was trained in Geological survey and {as a
scholar from C.P.) I had got my MA. in 1905. I was sent in 1909 as
State Scholar of Govt.of India to Manchester where I stayed till 1912
and got my
M.Sc
in Geology and Mining. I came back in August 1912. My wife, mother and
my father-in-law were often at Shirdi and they wrote to me to go over to
Shirdi to pay my respects to Sal Baba. I wrote back to say that I would
go, if Baba wanted me. My father-in-law then asked Baba and wrote to me
that Baba wanted me. So I went to Shirdi in April 1913. Baba was very
kind to my relations. He would jump up (occasionally) and play a jig,
as it were, before my mother, showing how happy he was to see my mother.
Mr. Madhava Rao Deshpande went with me and introduced me for the first
time to Sai Baba. Baba replied "You introduce him to me! / have known
him for thirty generations." What wonderful knowledge of the past was
this!
The
first impression I got of Sal Baba was from his eyes. They pierced me
through and through. And his image as seated at the Chavadi has left an
indelible impression on my heart. As for the inner experiences they
gradually grew upon me. First, I fell in with the current and did my
Seva (i.e., service) to Baba and attended the Aratis, etc. At an Aratl,
in my early visit Sai Baba was in a towering passion. He fumed, cursed
and threatened for no visible cause. I doubted if he was a mad man. That
was a passing thought. The Arati was completed in the usual way. In the
afternoon (of that day), I went and massaged his feet and legs. Then he
stroked my head and said "/ am not mad". Lo! He is seeing my heart.
Nothing is concealed from Him. He is my Antar-yami-the inner Soul of my
soul," I thought. Thenceforward, numerous instances occurred in my own
experience of his Antaryamitwa. When he talked, he spoke as one seated
in my heart knowing all its thoughts, all its wishes, etc. This is God
within. I had no hesitation in deciding that he was god. I tested him at
times. Each test produced the same conviction that he was all knowing,
all seeing and able to mould all things to his will. A few instances out
of hundreds may be cited here which showed that nothing was beyond Him
or concealed from Him, in the past, present and future.
In
1913, Baba told me that my father-in-low would build a Dagdiwada,(le., a
stone edifice) at Shirdi and that / would be in charge of it It was
only in 1915-16 that my father-in-law began to build it, (i.e., the
building in which Baba's tomb is erected) and it was after 1918-19,1 was
one of the Trustees in charge of that tomb.
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