Dear Sai devotees;
I would like to narrate my two wonderful experiences
with BABA.
I live in Maryland, USA. There is a Shirdi Sai Baba
temple apart from the famous Lord Venkateswara temple
in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. We visit these temples at
least once a year.
1. Two years back, after completion of my Satcharitra
Parayan, on our way to Niagara Falls, when I visited
Baba temple with my family, I had a wonderful
experience.
After attending the Noon aarathi, and taking darshan,
we came out to the parking lot.
Suddenly, one old lady, appearing very poor, wearing
an old saree and carrying an old plastic mesh bag,
approached us and told us that her daughter needs to
undergo major procedure and she is in need of some
money.
I immediately took out my wallet and asked her how
much she needed. She said you can give whatever amount
you feel like. I had sixty dollars, I gave her forty
dollars and asked if she wanted more. She said no, was
very happy and wished us good. Later she said she
wanted to give me something in return, even though I
was refusing to accept, she pulled out an old used
pink blouse with her trembling hands from her bag and
gave it to me saying it was for my daughter who was 5
years old then. Afterwards she went back into the
temple.
It appeared normal at that time. But later, when I
started thinking deep, I realized, it was not NORMAL.
I did not remember to have seen her in the temple. It
is a small temple and there were few devotees,
probably twenty that day. Even if she was present
somewhere else, I have not seen any Indian homeless
people in USA so far.
Sorry for thinking she was homeless, she may not be
homeless, but then she definitely might have had a
family to take care of her in USA. Why she was asking
money from the strangers ?
All these doubts made me believe that It was BABA
himself who asked me for dakshina !
I feel bad for not realizing that it was HIM and not
prostrating at that time.
I am preserving this wonderful gift of BABA and
whenever I remember this incident, I feel so elated.
2. Two weeks back I started doing Sai Satcharitra
parayana, and during the second day, I remembered the
above incident and felt a strong desire to visit this
temple after completing parayana on the following
Thursday. I also felt that I should go with my close
friend, Sri VenkataRamana Garu who is also a staunch
devotee of Shirdi SaiBaba.
I called him and he readily agreed to come with me. We
decided to go on Friday, 29th July 2005.
We started at 6:20 in the morning, and it was a 210
miles drive and would have taken us 3 hours plus to
reach. We had a wonderful travel and did not realize
how the time passed. During the drive we were
discussing so many spiritual topics and BABA's
experiences. The topic came about chanting of Gayatri
mantra and my friend told me that it need to be
received by a GURU for effectiveness and the procedure
to chant.
I used to chant this mantra on my own few years back
but discontinued it later. So I thought, when my
Guruji visits USA this year, I shall receive this
mantra from him.
We visited Lord Venkateswara temple first, spent few
hours there and later went to Shirdi Sai Baba's temple
which is few miles from there.
We reached around 11:30. When we entered the temple,
we saw to our amazement, an american dressed in
traditional yellow Pancha and top performing Kubera
Yagna and his wife was assisting him with the help of
Sri Panduranga Rao, who built this temple.
We were standing and looking, when Sri Panduranga Rao
requested us also to participate. Sri American (
sorry, I do not remember his name ) looked back,
smiled and said KOORCHONDI ( sit down in Telugu ). We
were stunned to see him speak telugu. His wife
arranged for a mat and he insisted that we must sit on
the mat.
We performed yagna for about half an hour. Later the
noon aarthi was performed by playing it on the
temple's PA system. Being a working day there were
just eight devotees plus Sri Panduranga Rao and the
temple secretary. After the aarathi was over, the tape
was stopped, prasadam was distributed and others left.
We were discussing with the american couple as to how
they became devotees of Shirdi SaiBaba.
They informed us that they are from Hawaii and are
planning to build Shridi Sai Baba temple there. Later,
Sri Panduranga Rao left with the american couple.
So we were the only two present in the temple. I
requested Raman Garu that I would like to do
meditation for five minutes and then we will start
back. I started meditating and Ramana garu was sitting
nearby. After few minutes into meditation, we heard
GAYATRI matra on the temple PA system. It was chanted
only once and stopped.
I tried to continue my meditation and after five
minutes, looked for Ramana Garu. He was in the
adjoining room. When I saw him, he asked me excitedly
if I too heard the Gayatri mantra ? I said yes. He
said when he sat with me, he thought and requested
BABA to show his presence in some or the other way.
After hearing this mantra, he went and looked to see
if anybody else was present and playing any tape. He
found nobody except us. The secretary also had left
after locking the temple office.
We were so much happy and felt that BABA obliged
RamanaGaru's request and at the same time gave me the
Gayatri mantra.
I am delighted to receive this mantra from none other
than our beloved SAIBABA.
While driving back we did not know how the time
passed. Obviously we were enjoying this wonderful
experience.
It was like you are floating on the water in a pond
with eyes closed and feeling the gentle waves and the
cool air breeze touching your body, and listening to
the occasional chirping of birds !
BABA bless US ALL,
Venkateswara Rao
subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Topic: Devotees exp (Read 1905 times)