By Dr. V. N. Shiradhonkar
"The ignorant runs after false pleasures and falls into the wide net of
death. The wise knows what is eternal; he does not expect anything of
lasting value from the inconstant pleasures of life."
- Kenopanishad
SAI-brother K. N. Narayan Swamy has made an appeal-'Dedication to Sai' - in
the January 1988 issue of Sai Padananda, in which he has called upon Sai
devotees to contribute articles / experiences on Sainath to several Sai
magazines. Prompted by his appeal, my mind mused over the gifts that Sai
Baba has conferred upon us.
Shirdi Sai Baba is a phenomenon. His physical body has disintegrated into
the elements many years ago. But today belief in him and his power to assist
people in times of distress is growing. Sai Baba started no cult and spread
no religion which one could identify with him. His teachings have been the
essence of all religions. His believers are countrywide and include Hindus,
Muslims, Parsis, Christians, and others and several others abroad.
Saints exist to give devotees temporal and spiritual benefits. Sai Baba has
said: "I have come to give such good things to the devotees". Once when one
of His devotees objected to people going to Sai Baba for temporal benefits,
Baba told him: "Do not do that. My men first come to me on account of that
only. They get their heart's desires fulfilled and comfortably placed in
life, and then they follow me and progress further. I bring my men from long
distance under many pleas. I seek them and bring them to me. They do not
come of their own accord. I draw them to me". These words are law even
today.
His assurances (11 sayings) are fulfilled in the case of each Sai devotee in
his own inimitable manner. Sai Baba did not care for money or gifts during
his life time: He begged for food and ate along with dogs, pigs, beggars
etc. He had a perfect conquest of the palate and perfect sense of equality
that He displayed to all the living creatures. They indeed see the very
perfection of what the world's scriptures had conjoined for the true seekers
of God, viz., not minding what one eats and treating all life as one.
What gift can we give Sai Baba who in fact is sustaining us in every moment
of our life? We breathe Sai, talk Sai and live Sai. I can only borrow a line
of G.S. Khaparde from his 'Shirdi Diary' -"From the moment I approached Him,
all the load of my worldly cares disappeared though only a few minutes,
before, it was felt to be exceedingly oppressive and such as to cause
disgust in life". So let us contribute our two-pice 'dakshina' - Sraddha and
Saburi to our Sai Maharaj.
Topic: Gifts of Sai Baba (Read 880 times)