Message of the day

[subhasrini]

 SaiRam Keerthi ji,

I fully agree with you all.  Baba has taught us the two paisa Shraddha and Saburi

Shraddha or devotional faith is the most difficult state of mind to achieve.
There are many examples of many devotees in Shirdi, at the time of Baba, who had left everything on Sai including all their material and spiritual needs, and Baba did provide these to them.

If one cannot come to this state of utter inaction then, he should go by the normal path of Navadha Bhakti and should be responsible for his own conduct to start with.

God has given enough intelligence to human beings in comparison to animals, to discriminate between good and evil. Such practice will slowly but definitely grow devotion in him imperceptibly.

However, this slow growth means waiting patiently under all circumstances on the mercy of Baba, which is nothing but Saburi.

Saburi is, therefore, an essential factor for the generation, sustenance and growth of devotion. Both faith and patience are complementary to each other.

Faith without patience will bring loss of faith at frequent intervals of time and will not allow its growth. Similarly, only patience, without actual faith, is an exercise in futility. A balance in both will bring about even growth of both in a person.

Baba I have shraddha in you, and I will take what ever you give. It might be painful sometimes but I trust you fully. And Baba I have that Saburi, patience for the real treasure to unfold"

And if we are missing Shraddha and Saburi " Baba Please give me Shraddha and Saburi"

These are few lines I had chosen. Sai Satcharitra is full with jewels and gems of Baba's Saying.
And if we take some pain to give attention to those jewels, those words of Baba.
I feel we will benefit more.


I am sorry if I have hurt  any of the devotees. Sai guide us all.

Jaisairam.

[sonikaputtoo]

Didi u r right and u have pointed towards the very basic and utmost important things, a Sai devotee should possess ie shraddha and Saburi..........but I think my question remains somewhat unanswered or May be I dont possess such intelligence to understand ur reply.......

with all shraddha and saburi if we pray baba to guide us ( in our tough times where taking a decision becomes difficult ) through chits or Q & A ..... is it wrong?

why I am keen to Know didi is because at some occassions when i have requested baba to reply me thru chits or Q&A ( in really tough times for me) the reply I have got is sometimes different than what actually happens later on......This does not shake my faith but I feel that time may be I am not abke to interpret his reply properly or may be my Karmaphal is not yet over.........

I really need to know how to pray n request baba to gude in life?

[adwaita]

om sai ram

I would like to say one thing. Be it casting lots or wait for baba's direct answer in any way, there is one main pillar called 'faith'. There is nothing wrong in following the chits method. for example shama ji followed this method when he was in a dilemma whether to accept that shawl or not. Here it's not that he didn't believe baba or he doubted the person who brought that shawl but he wanted to take permission from baba whether to accept the shawl or not. So, we can't say that shama had no faith upon baba. When baba was there, people used to go to him directly to get his permission in any concern but what should we do now....

I also say that it is not the only way left and casting lots when your mind is restless is highly not advisable. When our mind is not at rest or peace, then how can we talk to him properly? Even if we get the answers whether a 'yes' or 'no', there are few who try it again and again just to increase the confusion. To avoid this kind of situation, casting lots is not advisable. They get an answer and if it doesn't happen they don't believe in chit method. It is not that we should further stop believing the chit method, it is that we don't have control upon our restless mind. When mind becomes restless, it bugs us to ask nanna again and again through the chit method and we listen to it. Before doing that, we should bring our mind to steady state and as soon as it comes to steady state it is filled with baba and all the positive thoughts, we may even don't need to go for asking him anything. The direct answer would be with us.   

keerti ji, I want to tell you one experience of mine. I was about to give an online exam. There were two centers in Vizag. I didn't ask baba which one to choose. In fact I didn't get that thought. I was over whelmed to find an online center here as I never thought I would find any. Baba showed me the way. I simply went to the famous one. There on the first day I talked to them regarding the fee, exam slot etc. After few minutes it struck me that I didn't see nanna anywhere and when that receptionist came I forgot about it. She asked me to come after 2 days. Later when I went there, they kept on postponing and no one was showing that much interest. I got fed up and chose to go for the other center. No sooner I entered the office, I found nanna's moorthy right in front of me as if he was waiting for me. I understood that he wanted me to give my exam at the 2nd center. The examiner was very kind and told everything in detail. Also the exam fee was low when compared to the 1st center. This is how he arranges everything, even if we don't ask him. It is wonderful that you ask him everything through chits before taking a step but he thinks about us at least one second before we think about us that's our father Yes for few cases we will be in confusion as to which one to choose but his guiding is timely and will reach us for sure. My apologies if I offended anyone. These are my humble opinions and not to hurt anyone. Baba bless all. om sai ram.

[subhasrini]

Story of the Brick

Baba had a brick in his possession that He cherished as a life-long companion. Abdul used to take care of cleaning of the Masjid. Once while cleaning the floors, the brick that Baba treasured fell down and broke into pieces. Sainath was very sad at this event and lamented at the loss of one of His very few material possessions. King of the Yogis and the great soul that rejected everything material, Saibaba was dejected over what seemed to be a priceless piece of mud. How could that be?

The brick was the one that Sai Baba’s fellow students threw at Him having consumed with jealousy of Sainath’s good standing with their Guru. Baba said that the Brick was dear to Him because it was perhaps the only physical reminiscent of His days with His Guru. While it reminded Baba of the protection Guru will always extend to his faithful disciple, the brick would also stand as a reminder to the jealousy of Sainath’s fellow students at His Guru’s abode. Pity should be the situation of those students who, blinded by jealousy, were unable to identify the True Brahman that was living and breathing amongst them. Jealousy, one of the evils that human mind harbors, is capable of blinding the intellect. Therefore, it should be a natural recourse for a spiritual aspirant to shun away from such an evil.

Incident involving the brick may appear like a trivial happening in Baba’s life. But its significance is truly magnificent. Narration of incidents such as these makes Sri Sai Satcharitha the unique text on Sainath and His message.

True Nectar! 

BOW TO SHRI SAI-PEACE BE TO ALL.

[subhasrini]

Speech

"I shall consider you blessed when you will renounce all attachments, conquer lust and palate and getting rid of all impediments, serve God wholeheartedly and resort to the begging bowl".

The above is the reply given by Sai Baba to Bapusaheb Jog who asked him why even after serving Baba for so many years, his mind was not calm and composed and why he failed in his efforts for self-realization.

In our scriptures, great stress is laid on "non-violence" which means not to hurt anybody physically, mentally, or by speech. Sai Baba had realized that of all the above, harsh and scornful words hurt a person much more than physical or mental violence. Such cutting words are more easily forgotten and cannot be withdrawn. Consequently, they cause everlasting ill feeling.

Sai Baba, therefore, not only advised his devotees, "Not to speak cuttingly to anyone so as to hurt him.

He said, "let anybody speak hundreds of things against you, do not resent by giving a bitter reply.

If you always tolerate such things, you will certainly be happy", and to make sure that they did follow his advice, he also said, " He who carps and cavils at others, pierces me in the heart and injures me but that suffers and endures, please me the most".

(Source: "Shri Sai Baba's Teachings and Philosophy' by Lt. Col. M.B. Nimbalkar) 

[subhasrini]

Traits!


The most useless thing to do ......................Worry

The greatest Joy................................Giving

The greatest loss................Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work............Helping others

The ugliest personality trait..............Selfishness

The most endangered species......Dedicated leaders

The greatest "shot in the arm"....Encouragement

The greatest problem to overcome.................Fear

Most effective sleeping pill..........Peace of mind

The most crippling failure disease..........Excuses

The most powerful force in life................Love

The most dangerous pariah..............A gossiper

The worst thing to be without.................Hope

The deadliest weapon....................The tongue

The two most power-filled words.........."I Can"

The most worthless emotion............Self-pity

The most prized possession..............Integrity

The most beautiful attire................A SMILE!

The most contagious spirit..............Enthusiasm


Few traits which are natural for few and difficult for few, I do not think there is anyone who has all of them intact, all planets can never be good or bad, few are good and few are bad, so good to remember them.


Contributed by a friend!

[subhasrini]

Facing the Enemies Within
by Jim Rohn


We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of your fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you've read in the papers.

Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o'clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won't need to live in fear of it. Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us. Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within.

FIRST ENEMY - Indifference
The first enemy that you've got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is. "Ho-hum, let it slide. I'll just drift along." Here's one problem with drifting: you can't drift your way to the top of the mountain.

SECOND ENEMY - Indecision
The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.

THIRD ENEMY - Doubt
The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there's room for healthy skepticism. You can't believe everything. But you also can't let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities. Worst of all, they doubt themselves. I'm telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it.

FOURTH ENEMY - Worry
The fourth enemy within is worry. We've all got to worry some. Just don't let it conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you've got to worry. But you can't let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here's what you've got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you've got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you've got to push back.

FIFTH ENEMY - Timidness
The fifth interior enemy is over-caution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidness is not a virtue (unlike humility--they are different); in fact, it can be an illness. If you let it go, it'll conquer you. Timid people don't get promoted. They don't advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. You've got to avoid over-caution.

Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what's holding you back, what's keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.

Aum sairam.

[subhasrini]

Gajendra Moksham

 
For those of you who have read the Srimad Bhagavat, you may have come across the story of Gajendra, the King of Elephants. This elephant was a mighty beast who was treated as the king of the entire jungle. From lions to ants, everyone respected him and held him in awe and respect.

As he was enjoying his royal power, he felt the uncontrollable urge to slake his thirst so visited a lake that was the center of all activity in the forest. No sooner had he enjoyed the cool and refreshing water for a few moments, he found his feet gripped very firmly. No matter what he tried, he was unable to shake off the grip. He then realized that a big crocodile (far more powerful than him) was feasting on his legs. Feeling completely helpless and on the brink of destruction, he fervently prayed to Lord Narayana and sought His protection and grace. He was ceaselessly chanting, "Narayana, Narayana, Narayana …."

How could the compassionate Lord resist the call of true devotion? He immediately appeared at the scene and with the help of His discus, severed the crocodile into pieces. The elephant was free at last and garlanded the Lord as a token of gratitude.

The Bhagavat provides a detailed explanation about the antecedents of the two animals' past lives and also describes how they were cursed to assume those forms. The author, however, feels there is a much deeper significance to the story and interprets it as follows:

The elephant personifies our beastly desires (attachments, physical cravings, material desires, and the rest). The lake personifies the samsara sagara (the ocean of worldliness) that is surrounded by the forest (illusion and ignorance), and when a human being, overpowered by desires, attempts to satisfy worldly cravings either in the form of human relationships or material pursuits, he is quickly caught in the grip of attachments, karmic consequences, and the ensuing cycle of births and deaths (symbolized by the crocodile).

Gripped by suffering in this manner, he makes desperate attempts to release himself but fails miserably. It is then that he remembers the Lord and chants His name ceaselessly. Unable to bear His devotee's suffering, the Lord immediately comes to the rescue and with the help of time, knowledge, and His divine powers (symbolized by the discus), he severs worldly bonds, releases the devotee, and grants him eternal peace and happiness in the form of moksham (liberation). Thenceforth, the devotee clings to the Lord's heart for eternity (as symbolized by the white garland).

[subhasrini]

There are no special ways for approaching Baba, i.e., ways different from those adopted for

approaching other high and noble personalities.

 How do we approach our mother?

 It looks ridiculous for us to ask such a question. 

The mother has showered her love on the child long before it is aware of such love. 

Thus Baba has similarly played the part of an unseen mother showering benefits on her children,

the devotees, even from their previous births. 

But how are they to approach Baba now?

 Let them sincerely wish to do so. 

At once the approach has been started.  They are improved from that very instant. 

They get more and more enthusiastic and get more and more benefits. 

These produce gratitude first and finally strong love. 

Let the reader daily think of Baba, seeing his fugure in the medals, pictures etc. he keeps with

himself and let him read about Baba’s great deeds more strong than  poetic thought. 

Baba’s 108 Namavalis is a mnemonic device for forcefully recalling these qualities. 

Let him attend bhajanas and poojas where sincere devotees gather. 

One song from a sincere devotee, one artless song, will thrill the hearer and fill him with awe, joy,

piety and lofty sentiments that will last a long time. 

Let one always go in for service to humanity or to lower creatures for the sake of baba i.e.,

viewing Baba as existing in each individual person or creature that he sees.

 Baba himself will direct the further steps of the earnest enquirer. 

Ways and means for further contact and further growth will be disclosed by Baba himself in

innumerable ways to each ardent devotee. 

The manner in which he imparts these varies. 

Some of highly emotional nature see him at times even today and some talk with him during waking

 hours.  Others get such contact in their dreams. 

Still others earnestly wanting some response and piously opening some book with a prayer, find

their response in that book.  Others resort to chits. 

Others simply rely on the correctness of their intuition that the though suggested to them at a

particular time is the thought given by Him. 

In these and other ways, people get their contact and benefits from Sai. 

Sai is not different from God. 

Are not all these ways adopted by devotees in various religions to get access to and a response

from their God or Ishta Devata? 

The same applies to Sai Baba. 

There are numerous Sai Bhakthas who have such intense faith in Him as their God and who get

their response and benefits from him. 

If any reader is very earnest and wishes to pursue this matter further,

it must be very easy for him or her to ascertain who are the Sai Bhaktas

in their district or province with such Bhakti and, if these are noted for their pure and lofty nature,

they can and might be approached with perfect safety and advantage.

JaiSaiRam.

[subhasrini]

Is there no hope?

Perils of Maya, the myth, is well known, well expounded, yet least comprehensible for a spiritual seeker. The human nature is such; it falls to its own trap time and again.

Desires multiply even after knowing how transient the human life is.

Desires and more desires, as the mercy of Sadguru confers the wishes, the desires manifold.

Souls trapped at the crossroads not knowing where to draw the line. Swami Vivekananda, one of the greatest spiritualists history has seen talks on this subject; "There was never a mother who did not think her child was a born genius, the most extra-ordinary child that was ever born; she dotes upon her child. Her whole soul is in the child. The child grows up, perhaps becomes a drunkard, a brute, ill-treats the mother, and the more he ill-treats her, the more her love increases.

The world lauds its unselfish love of the mother, little dreaming that the mother is a born slave, she cannot help that. She would a thousand times rather throw off the burden, but she cannot. So she covers herself with a mass of flowers, which she calls love. And this is Maya.

True it is that we are all slaves of Maya, born in Maya and live in Maya. Is there no way out, no hope?

That we are all miserable, that this world is really a prison, that even our so-called trailing beauty are but a prison-houses, have been known for ages upon ages. There has never been a man; never been a human soul who has not felt this sometime or other, however he may talk. And the old people feel it most, because in them the accumulated experience of a whole life, because they cannot be easily cheated by the lies of the nature.

Is there no way out?

We find that with all this, with this terrible fact before us, in the midst of the sorrow and suffering even in this world where life and death are synonymous, ever here there is a still small voice ringing through all ages, through every country and in every heart: "This Maya is divine, made up of qualities, and very difficult to cross. Yet those that come unto Me, cross the river of life". This voice comes to men when everything seems to be lost and hope has fled, when's men's dependence on his own strength crushed down, and everything seems to melt away between his fingers, and life is a helpless ruin. Then he hears it. This is called religion".

Religion in this context may well be substituted for the doctrine of faith, to be taken for all its worth. As the true sons of the father, let us spend a few moments on contemplating the loving invitation the father has extended to His religion, the one of faith and patience, of love and tolerance, of one supreme that is for all.

(Contributed by Sai Vichaar team)