SOMETHING ELSE IS IN STORE FOR YOU

[Guest guest]

SOMETHING ELSE IS IN STORE FOR YOU

Once Shama asked Baba, perhaps in a light-hearted way, "Baba, you have granted

so much of wealth, property and position to so many of your devotees, but why

haven’t you given me anything? You are a fakir wearing rags, sleeping on a

gunny (or sack cloth) in this old, dilapidated mosque. You are too miserly and

you even beg your food from others. But everyone calls you ‘God’. And it is we

that made you one. If we deny that, who can question us?" Baba smiled very

charmingly, cast a long, loving glance at his beloved child and said, "Money

and wealth are not for you. Something else is in store for you."

On one occasion a Sindhi merchant offered to give golden sovereigns to this

‘dearest of devotees to Sai" (i.e., Shama) but Sai Baba objected to it and did

not allow him to give. Instead of giving money to Shama, as he gave to others.

Baba always gave him sacred books like ‘Eknath Bhagawatha’, ‘Vishnu

Sahasranama’ and silver padukas (holy feet). Even among the dishes offered to

him, Baba knew that Shama did not relish savouries. So he never gave them to

Shama and when all other devotees left him, Baba gave him a mango or some

sweet. Perhaps, this very humanity of Baba was an obstacle to Shama to have

faith in him as a sadguru par excellence.

As Shama kept closest to Baba, he had such closer glimpses of Baba’s greatness

as others were apt to miss. For instance, one day someone approached Baba for

money. Shama knew that Baba had it in his pocket. But Baba told the man a lie

and said that he had no money with him. Later, when the man had left the

mosque, Shama frankly asked him, "You are a fakir with no attachment for money

and wedded to truthfulness. Why did you tell him a lie? Do you not always

exhort us to be truthful?" Baba replied that as it was not good for him to be

given the money, and he would not heed Baba’s words if he were to tell the

truth, and thus, for his own good, the man had to be so treated.

(Source: Sai Baba the Master)