Sai Vichaar for Thursday , September 15, 2005

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Sai Vichaar for Thursday , September 15, 2005Sai Vichaarwww.saibaba.org

Thursday , September 15, 2005 :: Volume 8, Issue 18 (In its eighth year of

publication.) Sai Vichaar is a Weekly newsletter distributed every Thursday

and is devoted to the life, philosophy and teachings of Shri Sai Baba of

Shirdi. Feel free to forward this newsletter to your interested associates in

its original form.IN THIS ISSUE:FEATURE OF THE WEEKCONTRIBUTED ARTICLEDEVOTEES

SAYPRAYER CLUBEXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEESQUOTATION OF THE WEEKQUESTION OF THE

WEEKSAI ACTIVITIESFROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARDFEATURE OF THE WEEK: Mahaa Bhagath,

a matter of fact!What is needed of those involved in spreading Sai message is

humility, utmost faith in Sadguru and acceptance that He is the wirepuller and

the individuals are mere participants. Humility for a Sai devotee should be a

constant reminder. The association with any image or emotion, even be sattwic,

can only be a form of hindrance to the task. Hemadpanth aptly wrote that

ahankara, the sense of doership in this context, couldn't be conquered as long

as association with any emotion persists. Dasganu was chided by Baba for

setting out like a bridegroom for singing God's glory. Sai prachaar may not be

an elevated state of activity, time bound and material driven. It happens with

the mere intention of sharing Sadguru's word. Until one truthfully considers

himself to be the least qualified to do the task and realizes that it is

providence that bestowed the blessing, the self remains hindrance to the task.

Baba set up an example by calling Himself a devotee of God. He extolled the

virtues of God, Himself remaining a meek servant. Some say Baba was 'Bhagawad

baktha', the devotee of Lord. "Allah maalik", "God is great", said the God

Himself! In the spiritual context, one may ascribe this attitude of Baba to

adwaita, the non-dual nature of the divine, where Sadguru and Sadbhaktha are

one and the same. However, in the context of spreading God's words, Baba set up

an example. If God calls himself a meek creature, an insect in the dung, where

would that place his followers? Let this be our reminder as we embark onto the

newer phase of understanding Sai message, by learning and sharing, with

humility as a mater of fact.CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Baba's miracles in my lifeBaba

came to my rescue whenever I called him. Even for silly things, like not finding

any important documents in the office, not able to do some work, meet people, or

take a decision. I would like to share those miracles with you all.

Not even a year of my visit to Shirdi, my elder brother came to me. He was all

in tears. This was the third incident when I saw tears in his eyes. On earlier

two occasions, the deaths in the family - my father and my brother. He was the

General Secretary of all India workers' association of Brooke Bond and at the

same time, the President of their Co-operative Society, which dealt with money

etc. Being the President, he had the powers to sanction the loans to the needy

workers and was authorized to sign the checks. He had given loans worth Rs.60,

000.00 to some of the workers who became defaulters and duped the money. He had

not only passed the loans but also stood as guarantors for them. During the

audit, my brother was held responsible for mismanagement and blamed for

manipulation of Society funds. Though all were aware of the facts but some

power crazy elements, waiting for an opportunity, took advantage of that

situation to defame him, strip him off from the powers and position. They moved

the matter to the Court. Now he had only one alternative, either pay the dues

and save his skin or face the consequences. He came to me in that connection.

Rs.60, 000.00 almost 24 years back, was a very big amount and I did not have

that much hard cash with me and because of my differences with my husband, I

did not take his help so I told my brother to dispose of my jewels I had left

with my mother, valuing half of the amount, and asked him to manage the rest

knowing too well, he won't be able to but I was helpless.He left the same day,

fearing untoward to happen. Both my husband and I went to see him off at the

station. When the trained moved, I removed that metal ring of Saibaba from my

finger and threw at his direction, saying, Baba save him. Please do not bring

shame and disgrace to him or our family. He was not culprit. We had suffered

the worst but never had the accusation of swindling money or cheating people.

After two days, the Court summoned him. The judge after giving a patience

hearing of the versions, looked at my brother for sometime and said: This

person can never cheat anybody or manipulate funds in his life. To me the

allegations against him looked fabricated. It is a simple case of default.

However, he being the President and guarantor is responsible to ensure that the

amount is deposited in the Society. Since he is not capable of making the full

payments, the Court orders him to pay off the dues in installments with

interest. We all got a relief. Saibaba heard my prayers and saved him or else

anything could have been happened like imprisonment with fine. His

participation in union activities made him remain absent from work for days

together every month, which affected his salary and it, took 20 long years to

pay off the debts from the Society and until such time, I managed his

family.(Contributed by Vijaya Nair)DEVOTEES SAY: Vidya SThank you my kind

Saibaba for helping me pass my test. Thank you my sweet Baba for teaching me to

value everything in life. I promise I will never underestimate anything or

anybody. Thank you again my god for being there for us all, with us all

always.Saritha VMy sister got a very bad pain, because of the Epidural she took

at the time of delivery. She was getting pain whenever she sits or stands. She

need to be in bed all the time, it is difficult for her to feed her baby. We

all prayed Baba. By the grace of Sai only, she got relief from this pain

without any medication. Thank you very much Baba.Aruna AI am a Masters student

studying in the USA. I got a visa issue so I took a break last semester and

went to India. The trip turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I got to

spend four months of quality time with my family. I again landed in the same

situation this semester. I was so tensed. Sai came to my rescue once again and

showed me a way. Sai thank you so much. You are a kind mother who protects the

children even if they make mistakes.Bhanumathi SAum Sri Sairam! Hi Wayne, read

your experience. You are really blessed to have such a vision. In the Ulwa

language (just found it on the net -- "Lumah" means Good Afternoon!

(http://www.slaxicon.org/ulwa/dict/L.html) It is also mentioned as one of the

year names saying Lumah - Priest

(http://cdli.ucla.edu/dl/yearnames/E_GLOSSARINDEX/R919.htm)

This word is also mentioned in one of the articles as the creator paintings:

http://www.artnet.com/library/09/0928/T092870.asp)

VasanthiSai Ram to Sai brother Wayne. You are indeed fortunate that you had a

vision of Baba who is a Sarva Dharma Sadguru.I have not heard of the word Lumah

but the moment I read through the following thoughts crossed my mind and felt

bliss supreme so thought of sharing the meaning with you all. We call Shirdi

Baba our Mai and Baap (Mother and Father). In your happy state you were telling

Baba (1) L-Love U-You Mah-Mother.(2)L-Love Umah-Uma also known as Parvathi or

Uma Maheshwari wife of Lord Shiva and shakthi personified and is the mother of

all creatures on earth.(3)L-Love U-Uma(Mother) MAH-Maheshwar or

ahaeashwar(Father).Love you Baba who is our mother and father.GokulakrishnanJai

Sai Ram. Thank you very much Baba, with your blessing I could successfully

submit my project and according to my vow I am writing this experience here,

thank you Baba. Jai Sai Ram. Baba please help me in getting a job as you know

my family situation. Jai Sai Ram.

PRAYER CLUB: A Sai devoteePlease Baba; bless me with a child Sai. You know my

situation and the predicaments I am facing. Please Baba, I am begging for your

grace and blessings. Please forgive my husband and me for all our sins and

please bless us with a child soon Deva.LavanyaI really need your help at this

crucial time. Please help me in this situation. Baba, I do not have father and

you are both father and mother to me. Please help me.Rajiv BPlease lower my

anger and provide some good and positive thinking to my wife as we are not

living happily and due to this, my baby is suffering. Please show some miracle

Baba. Save our married life.PriyaPlease please help us Sai. You have always

done miracles in our lives. Please help us both find good jobs in Canada by the

end of this year. You know how important it is for us. Also, help him find a

sponsor for his visa and accommodation in Canada.Saravanan CMy father was

recently diagnosed at Apollo hospitals with blocks in his heart and one failed

kidney and damaged liver due to excessive medications that he is taking for his

previous heart and diabetics problems. Doctors advised to operate both kidney

and heart one by one. He is going to have kidney surgery on September 14th 2005

(Wednesday) at Apollo Hospitals. Based on the out come, he might have by pass

heart surgery after two to three months. I am not in a position to visit India

now due to my Green Card related issues and to help my only brother who is

staying with my parents. Oh Sai! please help us to pass through this critical

stage by showering your blessings on my father and on our family.RajeshwaraI am

in a big dilemma about my job and I need to find a job very soon. I am looking

for a position and nothing is sure yet. Time is running out and please help me

to find a good job soon either in USA or in India. Please bring me mental peace

and happiness in my life and bless my family and friends.NishaniPlease do not

let my parents suffer anymore. Baba you know that my mother is not happy and

she wants to go home. Please let us find someone honest and loving to live with

her. Baba she has suffered for so many years in and last days give her some

peace.Sai devoteePlease Baba, do this for me and I will be forever obliged. I

know I have not been a true Bhakta of you, but please Baba, I need you to do

this for me so that my family is not destroyed. Baba, please help me I am in

desperate condition. Baba, I do not know what came over me when I committed the

sin and was caught red-handed, Please Baba, I cannot tell this to anyone. Please

take care of my family. I am in my late forties and my daughter in only six

years old. She needs me. Let not anything happen to me because of the

sin.HariOh lord Shirdi Sai, my application for the H1 received in time to INS.

Now, I would like to request all the Shri Sadguru Shirdi Sai devotees to pray

for my success in getting the job done at the earliest without any hurdles. I

once again request you all to pray for my success. I pray Lord Shirdi Sadguru

Maharaj to answers all our Sai devotees prayers for ever.

Sai devoteeBaba, You have taken care of me and my family for the past so many

years. Keep Your blessings and let us remain in Your lotus feet always. My wish

is to sing your bhajans and leelas in everybody and anybodys house wherever and

whenever

it is required. Give me that courage. Koti Koti Pranama to You.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES: Sai devotee, QatarI am working in Gulf (Qatar) and here

the procedures are tough in getting family visa. I have been trying since 3

years for getting a permanent family visa. My family has been on and off in

Qatar for all these years. We are really worried this year because my son who

is 5 years old has to put in school. Both me and my wife are ardent Sai

devotees and we sincerely prayed Sai to fulfill our reasonable prayer and start

our life together. My wife sincerely believed that Sai is doing this for some

reason all way long, but me being a very emotional person, found it very hard

to accept. I was slowly losing my confidence in all aspects. I have applied

this time also and it was again rejected. But the immigration official has

given me an appointment with the officials on 0ctober 5th. My family is here in

Qatar on 6 month's visit visa and their visa will expire on September 9th. We

were very confused and without knowing what to do, tried all ways of preponing

our interview date. Our house owner also tried from his side through his

friend, to prepone the interview date. Suddenly last Tuesday night he informed

me that my interview is for tomorrow (Wednesday) 7:30 am. I immediately started

reading Sai Satcharitha and the next morning, after saying my prayers went to

the meeting (15 minutes late). The office boy at the immigration took me

directly to the chief there and not to the other officials in the meeting

(where I was rejected for the past 2 times). There I was asked 3 questions,

regarding my profession, salary etc, to which I answered the truth. Then the

official said come after 3 days to check your application, since I had lost

almost all hopes I did not talk even a word further, said thank you and came

off. The same day around 12 pm I got a telephone call from the immigration

office saying that my visa application is passed and I can collect my family

visa immediately.A Sai devoteeOm Sai Sri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai! Last year in

September my husband lost his job due to a disability. He did not have

disability coverage through his employer. He got state disability, which was

only valid up to 1 year. I have been praying to Baba for my husband to get a

job with proper coverage. He finally with Baba's grace has another job and the

new employer gave him a starting date of exactly one year from when my husband

lost his job! Baba you are amazing and have convinced me that you are there to

look after us. Please Baba bless my husband to be able to hold on to this job.

Please always keep me and my family under your protection!Naveen KIn 2003, I

left my very good job in India and immigrated to Canada. I have applied to many

jobs (all kinds) but not even a single call from any employer in 3 months. I was

frustrated and came back to India. I have spent all my savings on Canadian

immigration. I was so worried that why this had happened to me despite of

praying to Sai and visiting Sai's temple in Toronto. I returned back to India

and immediately, by the grace of Sai, I was offered job in my previous company.

At my job, due to some internal changes in the department, I was given the

responsibility of the area which I was not interested at all. I was regularly

praying Sai to get me a chance to work in the area of interest for my better

prospects. Exactly after 6 months I was given the responsibility of area of my

interest. He has given me all the confidence and courage to handle new

responsibilities. In November 2005, I was offered an overseas placement in my

company with a good salary. I felt that Sai had given me a better opportunity.

He knows what is best. Finally, I moved to my Moscow office in May, 2005 and

planned to bring my family in July. After coming to Moscow, I went to Indian

Embassy School (Kendriya Vidyalaya) for getting admission in 2nd standard for

my twin sons. The school principal has refused to give admission, as already

the strength of the class is very high. I prayed Sai for my kid's admission.

Very next day, by the grace of Sai, one of my colleagues had helped me in

getting a recommendation letter from someone and Principal had given the

admission without any objections. Without Sai's grace this would not have

happened. I pray Sai this to shower His blessings on all of us.QUOTATION OF THE

WEEK: "The moral of the story is that one has to reap what one sows, and there

is no escape unless one suffers and squares up one's old debts and dealings

with others, and that greed for money drags the greedy man to the lowest level

and ultimately brings destruction on him and others"-Story of Chennabasappa and

Veerabhadrappa in Sai Satcharitha.QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Q. How are we to deal

with pests like rats, cockroaches and ants?A. by Sakshi SareenAs Baba said, "

treat every human being and animal from one eye, do not be partial to any one

of them, I am present even in a dog.". As we are taught to address any other

human being not according to his physical form but according to deed he or she

has done similarly we have to treat pests. Pests like rats, cockroaches and

ants are also created by almighty, though sometimes we do hate them as they

didn't look attractive or pleasing but they are here in this world to execute

some task assign by Lord. This is even a allusion from God that your karma

whether good or bad will be the base, the deeds they have done in their past

might have landed them in this chassis. I request all of you to be nice to them

and learn from the moral supreme, pointing out.SAI ACTIVITIES: Shirdi Sai Temple

of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USAShirdi Sai temple is open daily from 7:00

am to 9:00 pm. Daily program includes Kakad Arathi at 7 am followed by Abhisek.

Madhayana Arathi at 12 noon, Dhoop arathi at 6 pm and Shej Arathi at 9 pm.

Archana, Homams, Sahasranama and sponsored poojas continue in between the

Arathis. To request a pooja for yourselves, your friends and family, please

call. Devotees can request water (Abhishek Jal) from the Holy bathing of Baba

by sending us an email or by phone. Temple is located 25 minutes drive west of

Schaumburg on intersection of IL Route 47 and Plank Road in Hampshire, IL. For

more information please call 847-931-4058 or send email to

maildrop (AT) saibaba (DOT) org. Upcoming Events: Samuhika Satyanarayan Pooja on Pournima,

Saturday September 17th. Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, MinnesotaRegular Sai

activities in Minneapolis, St.Paul area are being conducted at Shirdi Saibaba

Prayer Center, 725 Lake St NE, Apt #139 Hopkins MN. For details, please contact

hamaresai , or call Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center at 952-938-2983, and

to read the monthly newsletter Sai Sandesh, visit www.hamaresai.org.

Shirdi Sai Satsang, Bay Area, CaliforniaShirdi Sai Parivaar invites all to join

us for Satsang every Thursday 7:30 pm at Odd Fellows Temple, 20589 Homestead

Road, Cupertino, CA 95014.For details please call 408-564-6704 or send email to

saibandhu or visit www.ShradhaSaburi.org.Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of

Dallas/Fort Worth, TexasSri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of DFW Metroplex is located

at 2109 West Parker (Parker Plaza), Suite 212, Plano, TX 75023. For temple

hours and activities please call the temple office at 469-467-3388 or visit the

website www.shirdisaidallas.org.Shirdi Sai Satsang, Ontario, CanadaShirdi Sai

Baba Sansthan of Canada invites all to join us for Satsang every Thursday

6:30PM at 147 Winston Castle Dr. Markham, Ont. L6C 2N4. For details on other

activities and services please call Shammi Chopra at 416-402-8089 or email us

saileela99 .Shirdi Sai Satsang in Vancouver, BC, CanadaShirdi Sai

parivar in Vancouver invites you for bhajans, every Thursday (6.30pm - 7.30 pm)

at 8571,118A Street, Delta,V4C 6L2.For further details contact Ritu (604)592

4182 or email at sai_ish (AT) hotmail (DOT) com.FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD: Devotees are

requested to use appropriate headings based on their subject of writings for

sending contributions to Sai Vichaar. Experiences of Devotees pertains to

specific experiences with Saibaba of Shirdi devotees might have, while

"Devotees Say" is appropriate for making their comments, responses and other

topics related to Saibaba. The section "Contributed Article " is meant for

devotees to submit their articles on philosophy and teachings and messages of

Saibaba of Shirdi. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are

requested to remember the global nature of Sai Vichaar readership. Therefore,

the content, language, style and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide

readership will be more rewarding and fulfilling. It should also be noted that

when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to,

it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately. Sai

Vichaar is immensely happy to publish details about growing Sai activities all

over the world. Please write to maildrop (AT) saibaba (DOT) org if you want to know about

Sai activities or interested in initiating Sai activities in your area.

The "Question of the week" for the week is,

Sai devotee Deepak Bellur suggests the following question of the week, Q. Sai

Satcharita clearly spells out that one should not drive away even an ant or a

fly with disdain. How are we to deal with pests like rats, cockroaches and

ants?

Humbly Yours,The EditorABOUT THIS EMAIL:This newsletter is not sent unsolicited.

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you,The webmasterFrom and Editor:Shirdi Sai Baba Web SiteShirdi Sai Baba

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1998-2005 saibaba.org, Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha - Sai Vichaar Weekly may only be

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