Theoretical Vs Practical Worship

[dattaswami]

I like to keep only one photo for worship. Can I keep your photo, since you are the present human incarnation?
 
Ans.) The worship of photos and idols develop only theoretical devotion.  To develop such theoretical devotion any divine photo can be kept. Any divine photo shows only the human form. To clear the doubts and to receive your divine service, the present alive human incarnation plays the key role.  You can worship the photos of the present human incarnation decorated in various forms of God also to develop the mental (meditation) and dental (singing by words) devotion. Such photos developed on Me are available. But remember, as I told you that the assumption that I am God is only personal and should not be Universal.


At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami

Anil Antony

www.universal-spirituality.org
Universal Spirituality for World Peace

[drashta]

Om Sai Baba.

Dear Sai Brother Dattaswami ji,

Even though I believe that every member on this forum has a right to post what he or she likes, I think you are taking it rather too far. Here are some humble thoughts in response to your posts on 'present alive human incarnation':

There is no human incarnation for Sai devotees except Lord Sai Nath. He is alive even now, and is helping millions of devotees on this path. He is active through His tomb in Shirdi, and through His pictures and statues as well. You just have to read and reflect on the experiences of devotees who get remarkable spiritual or material benefits by worshiping Baba's statutes and pictures. For example, Narasimha Swami ji got enlightened when He entered Baba's samadhi temple years after Baba had left His mortal coil. So are the experiences of many among us having astonishing experiences of Baba's living presence in their lives.

When you write "Such photos developed on Me are available. But remember, as I told you that the assumption that I am God is only personal and should not be Universal", you miss the point. You may be God, so is each one of us (as per Baba's adwaita teaching). Because most of us are not enlightened yet, we would rather worship our Master Lord Sai Nath and follow only His word in letter and spirit (as every disciple of any guru is supposed to do). Till He Himself weans each one of us away from His form to the formless worship, and ultimately to our nirvana. Kindly do not post such messages that read at best attempts at 'self-aggrandizement'. Something that Moosa ji and Vishwanath ji also tried to point out once. I regret that I could not fathom their wisdom at that time. I hope you will respect our sentiments.

Apart from your insistence that only 'present alive human incarnation' would help, your other posts indeed have  significance for some of us.

Om Sai Baba.