Sai Baba Gita Reading for Today - Hold on to God alone

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Sai Baba Gita Reading for Today

November 1, 2003

 

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Hold on to God alone

 

In the Gita, Krishna told Arjuna, "Arjuna, you are subjecting

yourself to this element of time. You are getting yourself caught up

in its flow, and you are going far, far away from me. Surrender

yourself to me and all your sorrows will soon be removed." When you

are associated with God, when you are near him, illusion cannot harm

you. Here is a small example for this.

 

In the expensive homes of the wealthy there will often be a watchdog

guarding the gate to keep people out. This dog is not like a street

dog; it has been brought up by its owners with great affection and

has been carefully trained. This dog does not go on barking whenever

it sees people walking or moving about. It starts barking only when

someone comes near the gate and tries to get in. When they see the

dog and hear the barking, most visitors will quickly leave the gate

and go away. Others, however, who have taken a firm resolve to meet

the owner of the house, will continue to stand there and loudly call

out to the owner of the house. Eventually, the owner, hearing all

the commotion at the gate, will look out from his upstairs window to

see who is standing at the gate. Once the owner recognizes the

person waiting there to be his friend, he will come down, go to the

gate, let his friend in, and take him upstairs into the house.

 

When this apparent stranger, who had been waiting at the gate turns

out to be a friend of the master of the house and goes with him, the

dog will no longer bark at him or try to harm him. The dog now knows

that this person is being allowed in by the owner himself. Illusion

can be compared to this dog. It guards the gate of liberation and

bliss. If a person comes who is not a friend of the master of the

house, if he has nothing to do there, but insists on coming in

through the gate, the dog will catch hold of him. Fearing the

consequences of being accosted by the dog, most people will run

away. In a similar fashion, most people, as soon as they experience

some difficulties on the spiritual path, will choose to turn away,

instead of persisting on their quest, undaunted by difficulties. And

so, they do not reach their goal and thus continue to be buffeted by

the spell of illusion.

 

But a real devotee, who in this example is the person with a strong

determination to reach the owner of the house, does not mind the dog

at all. He remains at the gate and attracts the attention of the

master, and stays there until the master comes out. To such a

persistent one waiting at the gate, even the barking of the dog,

even the pain caused by illusion is helpful, because the pain draws

the attention and compassion of the master inside. The master turns

his gaze on the devotee, recognizes him, and takes him into the

house. Therefore, only the one with courage and a strong resolute

nature, who has decided to remain there no matter how ferociously

the dog is barking, will get to see the master and be able to enter

this palace of ultimate peace.

 

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

 

Source:

http://www.atmapress.com/saibabagita/saigita033.html

 

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Sai Baba Gita

Compiled and edited by Al Drucker - Published by Atma Press

http://www.atmapress.com - ISBN: 0963844903

Online Edition: http://www.atmapress.com/saibabagita/index.html