Sai Vichaar for Thursday, April 13, 2006

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IN THIS ISSUE: FEATURE OF THE WEEK CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE DEVOTEES SAY PRAYER

CLUB EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES QUOTATION OF THE WEEK QUESTION OF THE WEEK SAI

ACTIVITIES FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD FEATURE OF THE WEEK: Unseen

miracles! Behind every prayer and parayan (reading of holy books) there lies a

desire, the quest for a

miracle. Nice are those experiences where the seeker gets what he desires. It is

the experiences of several devotees to receive the good news, from seemingly

nowhere, beyond the logic, at the end of a sincere prayer. What of those who do

not see the light at the end of the tunnel? Did Sai not hear them? Are those

prayers not sincere? A prayer is always sincere. The mere thought of

surrendering our ego, even for a moment, at the feet of Sadguru and invoking

His grace to the betterment of our existence is a significant step. However,

not being able to receive the expected or wanted may not construe as a failure.

It does help one to know why the prayers aren't answered always. Why is that Sai

withholds His miracles, seemingly to a few "unfortunate" ones? A careful

analysis may help our little minds to some extent. Next time, if our prayers

are unanswered, let us remember those occasions carefully and move on. Let our

faith be doubled and let

our love to Sainath is unchanged. It will be revealed later, that the prayers

that were "unanswered" were a part of a much bigger plan. It will be known

that, what happened is in our best interests. It will also be known that it may

not be a dealing between Sai and the self, but a part of a grander revelation.

"Seek my treasure. My coffers are open", said Sai. The best miracles are the

ones that are unseen. CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Who Comes First! Guru Govind do

khade- kiskolagu pai Balihaarii Guru apne- Govind deo batai Guru and Govind

stand in front of me. Whose feet should I touch first? Because of the grace of

my Guru that I had the darshan of the Govind. Glory to my Guru. In this Doha,

Sant Kabir offers his pranams, first to the teacher, later to the Govind, and

explains why is that so. He did not let down the God, but he stressed

the importance of Guru in reaching God. Whenever we look at a house, we first

see the door. The door helps us to enter into the house. Inside of the house

cannot be seen from out side except the door. Like wise, the eyes cannot see

the Brahman. To reach the Brahman we have to go through the Master(Guru). On

the spiritual path, the role of a teacher is very important. We need the

examples of the persons who are fully awake and aware of the Self all the time.

The Guru knows the path and advises us about the pitfalls and traps in the path.

The teachers are the best physicians. When the Bhava Roga (the disease of

repeated birth and death in the material world) disables us, the teachings are

the best medicine. Being around a spiritual teacher or a spiritual group of

friends helps us to face the problems of life without much confusion and

tension. Sadguru and satsangs are an important part of life. All of us are so

fortunate to have a master like Sri Sai Baba. Sri Sai emphasized

the importance of a guide in the life of a spiritual seeker. Sri Sai explained

to us how much his teacher loved him and took care of him. Love is the simple

path to reach God. To start with, many people love God or Guru due to various

selfish reasons. As the days pass by, Guru will make the devotees to realize

the defects of the earthly desires and would make them to ask for the permanent

good. (Contributed by Sai devotee) CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: The Story of Stale Food

In the town of Shrabasti once lived a rich merchant named Migar. One fine

afternoon, when he had just sat down for his freshly prepared and delicious

meal, a Buddhist monk knocked on his door and asked for alms. At that moment,

Vishakha, his daughter-in-law, was standing nearby and waving a fan over him.

The merchant did not pay any attention to the monk's call and kept eating and

enjoying his meal. When the monk called for the second time, Vishakha replied

to the monk, My father-in-law is eating stale food and therefore, the monk

should look somewhere else. On hearing these words the merchant immediately got

into a fit of anger. He left his food, washed his hands, told Vishakha that she

has insulted him, and asked her to immediately leave the house. Vishakha

politely replied-At the time of my marriage, you had promised my father that

for any of my mistakes, you will consult the eight wise men of the town for the

punishment that is appropriate for my mistake. I request you to fulfill your

promise. This angered the merchant even more. He immediately called the eight

wise-men and told them how Vishakha has insulted him. Once Migar had described

the incident, Vishakha explained, Wealth, riches and worldly possessions in the

present birth are due to the merits and good deeds that were performed by the

person in his previous births. Everything in possession of my father-in-law is

due to the merits of his past

births. As he has now stopped doing good deeds in his present birth, so he is

simply enjoying what he has accumulated from his past birth and therefore, I

told the monk that he is eating stale food. After listening to Vishakha's

explanation, the merchant realized his mistake and apologized to her.

(Contributed by Translated in English from Kalyan Magazine - contributed by

Dharmender Rathore) CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: News from Shirdi: Income Tax rule 1961

clause 35 AC to Shri Saibaba Sansthan. Finance ministry of Government of India

has granted the permission of 100 percent exemption in the Income Tax on the

amount of donations being given by Sai devotees to the Sansthan. This exemption

will be as per the Income Tax rule 1961 clause 35 AC. Chairman, Vice-chairman

and Executive officer of the Sansthan, MLA Jayant Sasane, Shankarrao Kolhe and

Bhausaheb Wakchaure respectively informed jointly in a press release here.

Ministry of the Central Government has published this information in the

gazzate of India. This sanction is given under the scheme of social,

economical, health, educational developments and essential facilities for the

Sansthan. Sansthan can collect the donations upto Rupees 75 crores under this

scheme. Uptil now, donors were getting 50 percent excemption in Income Tax on

donated amount as per clause 80G. Thereafter the donors will get 100 percent

exemption in Income Tax on donated amounts as per clause 35 AC. The donations

to be received under this scheme will be utilised for hospital, school, museum

and food supply. Economically backward people can get the benefit under this

scheme. The period of this scheme is from financial year 2005 to 2008. As per

the gazzate published on February 3rd 2006, by the Finance Ministry of India,

12 such organisations(centers) got this permission. Shri Sai Baba Sansthan

Trust (Shirdi) has got the highest limit

of collection of donation i.e. Rupees 75 crores, is a matter of appreciation.

The donors are appealed to take the benefit of this scheme, informed by Mr.

Sasane, Mr. Kolhe and Mr. Wakchaure. (Contributed by Executive Officer, Shri

Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi) DEVOTEES SAY: TomI am from a catholic

family in England. I began reading about philosophy and eastern religions,

becoming obsessive and persistently searching books for the "answer". One

fateful day, I was in the local library after work and had become tired and

annoyed with myself over the time I was spending on this fruitless quest. I

decided to give it up and to read something purely for entertainment. In the

biography section, I saw an interesting book on the top shelf. I took hold of

it but the book next to it fell to the floor. I am not clumsy and do not

remember

dislodging that book. This obviously aroused my curiosity. The book was Sai

Baba, Man of Miracles by Arthur Osborne. Despite all my reading, I had never

come across Sai. I was intrigued by a quick review of the contents and took the

book home. Cutting a long story short, I have now been a devotee of Sai for 30

years, have twice visited Shirdi, my watch face has a picture of him and I

"talk" to him each day. I have received great worldly and spiritual benefits

over the years. Seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to

you. HaritA couple weeks ago, I was reading this newsletter, which mentioned

about an article regarding Baba appearing at a devotee's home. Upon reading the

same, I began to think as to if Baba would be kind enough and bless our home. It

was late in the night, and upon coming home next day, I was simply amazed to see

that we had received a photo of Baba along with Udi in mail on Thursday. This

was

nothing short of a chamatkar. All this happened on Thursday night. Come Friday,

there were some major restructuring changes at my wife's work place. She dearly

hung on to the photo of Baba, which had arrived the day before, and it was only

due to Baba's blessing that she escaped unscathed from the job cuts. Thank you

very much Baba for blessing our home. Baba please show us the right direction

during the tough times and not let us have any ego during the good times.

SrinivasI want to thank you Baba for arranging my sister's marriage (we were

looking for last 2 yrs). After I started reading the Sai Satcharitha daily,

things started settling down. Sai DevoteeWhen I read Sai devotees prayer and

Sri Saibaba's visit to their functions. I was praying Sri Saibaba to attend my

son's marriage or reception. But I was thinking that I am not as strong devotee

as other devotees so how will Sri Saibaba can

come to my place. Before marriage, we perform Santek in Gujarat. Purnahuti is

very important in this. During this stage, our priest calls a senior priest to

help him. As purnahuti started the senior priest came and started saying the

slokas. After completing purnahuti I ask my priest what dakshina I should pay

the other senior priest. He told me that he do not know the senior priest and

he did not invite the senior priest. So my wife asked me to pay him some

dakshina. When I tried to pay him, he said, Did I asked for any money? I told

him, I am giving it because I am very happy with his work. Then again the

senior priest said he did ask for any money? I requested him and he took it.

Then he asked me for rice and dal to eat. I could not understand why I did not

offer him lunch as people were having lunch. When he asked me for rice and dal,

I told my friend to take him at the lunch place. He only eats rice and dal out

of so many items. After that he went away. Then I asked

my neighbors, priest and many people but nobody knows him or seen him any time.

Immediately it strikes to me Oh! Baba you came as a priest. Tears came out from

all of our eyes. My family is a strong believer of Sadguru Sri Saibaba for more

than 55 years and how can He forget us. Just keep faith and patience and He

will be at your place. Many thanks Baba for your help all the time to my family

and me. Please guide us all the time. SandhyaSai thank you as promised I am

posting my thanks through Sai Vichaar. Thank you Sai for saving my mother.

Please be with all of us Sai. PRAYER CLUB: PrabhavathiPlease control my

husband's anger, give him patience, and let him be tolerant to my son's faults.

Please take care of us Baba. I know that I have not been very good and faithful

to You, but I need you Baba. Please help us and please

bring peace to our family. CharulLord show me the way to gain back my lost

confidence. Give me strength, intellect, resources and courage to achieve my

goal of setting up my school and my husband joining me. VasanthiBaba please

help my husband hold on to this job, which he got by Your grace. Please help

him meet his productivity goals, he is right now quite far from it and has only

two months time to bring them. VinodiniMy daughter is too young to make her

decisions now. I pray to you Oh Sai! Please take care of her! PaviOh Lord Sai!

Please help my brother and sister-in-law remove all their misunderstandings. I

feel that I do not have all the pieces of the puzzle and so I am not sure who

is wrong in which way. As their well wisher, I can only ask from you Deva.

RajeshSai Baba,

please grant that I am promoted at work. SrikalaSai Baba please help my husband

to get a job, he is giving many interviews but he is not getting any job. Help

my husband to get the job. RatnakarPlease give strength, concentration and

courage to my son, who is appearing for his IITJEE-2006 exam. MamathaI would

love to have a baby, my husband was not interested. We had been to a doctor;

they found some problem in me. Please help me to overcome that problem.

MamataWe are desperate to have a child and we are trying since one and half

year with no fruits, you know this, I pray to you everyday about this, I have

cried in front of you everyday since one year, every month I expect I will get

good news. Please bless us. EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES: ParagA month back I

had been thinking about lord Ram. Many questions came to my mind in a quest to

find if he truly deserves to be called god. He left his wife for the sake of

the well being of his kingdom, how can such a human be compared with God? When

Lord Rama met Sita after releasing her from Ravan why did only Sita had to

undergo agni pariksha? Even after passing the agni pariksha eventually Lord Ram

left Sita in the jungle. All these and many more questions confused me. I

started reading randomly any one chapter from Sai Satcharitha to calm down my

mind. In a weeks time I was again and again taken to the same Chapter where Sai

tells Mrs. Khaparde to always chant Rajaram, Rajaram. I felt it was just mere

coincidence. However, be it early morning's newspaper or watching TV Lord Ram's

praise and articles puzzled me. Finally, one early morning I just went on the

web and searched for Rajaram in Google image search. I was dumbfounded to

what I saw. Lord Ram Sitting on his throne the same way my Sai sits in his

mandir at Shirdi. I realized that I need to surrender my ego and find more

information about Lord Ram's life. I got answers to all my questions. His ways

are truly inscrutable. Sai will always break your ego and myth's if you truly

surrender to him. May he always keep showering his blessings and guide us in

the right direction. KrishnaMy job where I was working laid me off on

September 16th 2005. However, to my wonder just before being laid off, Sai made

me visit to a store, which I usually do the shopping. I just asked for job

application and the manager said there are no applications and asked me to

check next week. But when I was coming out from the store the district Manager

came to visit the store for inspection and asked me what for I am looking? I do

not know who he is? I told him that I was looking for an application for a job

in the store. To my

surprise, he asked me to wait and he got a pad of applications, gave me one, and

asked me to fill the same and submit immediately. He waited till I completed the

form and he interviewed me there itself and selected me after negotiating the

pay terms etc. and confirmed the appointment and asked me to join after the due

formalities of background check. In the same store, I applied earlier 2 or 3

times but there was no response. After this, I went home and in the night I

went to the job as usual and I got the notice from my previous employer about

my lay off. I am working in the same company now, which is a corporate store

and has light work compared to the previous job. I am also given one more job

in October 2005, to schedule my hours properly during the weekdays to have

sufficient income. Both jobs are corporate owned and with certain benefits. I

only pray Sai to give me the normal way of life, as he knows what is needed to

me and he gives that. I only request all devotees

to leave the burdens and worries to Him whatsoever and surrender to the lotus

feet of Sai who takes care of everything. QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: "The

four sadhanas and the six sastras are not necessary. Just have complete trust

in your guru: it is enough".-Sai Baba QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Q. What is the

best way to worship Sai baba of Shirdi? What should be our routine? A. by Sai

devotee, NJ There are many ways to worship Sai and it can be found across

various chapters of Sai Satcharitha and as mentioned by various devotees in the

previous newsletters. The ultimate worship would be if we could remember Sai all

the time and see him in all the beings. Sai has always said that he is present

in all the creatures. In Chapter 22, Baba

Says, "God lives in all beings and creatures, whether they be serpents or

scorpions. He is the great wire puller of the world and all beings obey his

command. Unless he wills it, nobody can do any harm to others. So we should

take pity and love all creatures." In Chapter 9, Baba says to Mrs. Tarkhad, "I

am roaming in their forms. He who sees me in all these creatures is my

beloved." As Lt Col. M.B. Nimbalkar puts in his book 'Shri Sai Baba's Teachings

and Philosophy', -- "Thus if devotees are once convinced that Baba resides in

every creature, would they ever dare to touch non-vegetarian food in any form

at all". Q. What is the best way to worship Sai baba of Shirdi? What should be

our routine? A. by Sai devotee The best way to worship Sai is with a clean

heart. There is no specific time, day or date. The only criteria required are

we should have firm Faith and Patience. We should trust that our Sai would take

care

of all our needs. As Sairam says, we have to remember Sai often and all our

afflictions will be removed. Whether a person is vegetarian or non-vegetarian

does not matter. Baba wants only firm faith and of course true to the self. We

should not just pray to get our matters or problems solved. We should not

remember Baba only in times of problem. We have to remember Baba always and

thank Him whenever something good happens and request Him if something bad

happens. SAI ACTIVITIES: Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs,

Illinois, USAShirdi Sai temple is open daily from 7:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m (Summer

hours). Daily program includes Kakad Arathi at 7 a.m. followed by Abhisek.

Madhayana Arathi at 12 noon, Dhoop Arathi at 6 p.m. and Shej Arathi at 9 p.m.

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. 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. 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, 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. Sai Satsang, New Jersey, USAShirdi Sai Dham, Inc

regularly conducts Sai bhajans followed by Aarti and Parsad on every 1st

Saturday of each month at Durga Mandir, Kendall Park, New Jersey from 3 pm to 5

pm (Winter Hours). All are requested to kindly come and receive Baba's

blessings. For more information, please call us at 609-275-1334 or visit

www.shirdisaidham.org or email us at shirdisaidham (AT) hotmail (DOT) com Shirdi Sai

Satsang, Toronto, CanadaShirdi Saibaba Sansthan

invites all to join for satsangs every Thursday 7:00 pm at Sai Dwarkamai, 147

Winston Castle Dr. Markham, Ontario, L6C 2N4, phone 416-402-8089 or email:

saileela99 . To request a pooja for yourselves, your friends and

family for any occasion at your residence, please call. Devotees can request

udi or Holy water (Abhishek Jal) from the Holy bathing of Baba by sending us an

email or by phone. Shirdi Sai Mandir, Scarborough, CanadaThe Shirdi Sai Mandir

located at 2721 Markham Road, Scarborough, Ontario, M1X 1L5 (Intersection of

Markham and Nashdene) is open Monday to Friday from 6:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m. and

Saturday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m to 8:30 p.m. Dhoop Aarti is at 7:30 p.m.

everyday. Bhajans are on Saturday from 5:00 p.m. onwards. For other temple

activities and information please call 647-444-4724 or send an email to

info (AT) theshirdisaimandir (DOT) com. FROM THE

EDITORS KEYBOARD: Sai devotee Sadashiv Kavthankar suggests the following

"Question of the week" as Q. Name any one incident during The Life of Shri Sai

Baba which has made a lasting impression on you? Humbly Yours,The Editor

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