Is sai baba to be broken

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3.IS SAI BABA TO BE BROKEN?

By Shri B.V.N.Swami

 

In the last issue of Sri Sai Sudha the question is raised and

answered whether Sai Baba is builder of breaker, In that very issue

a "devotee" in stating his experiences of Sai Baba narrates how he

lost faith in Sai Baba and consequently broke BABA's image and how

some one else with more faith in Baba successfully used broken bits

of that image for improving the patient's health. This was perhaps a

distant repercussion produced by the report in the Sudha of the

similar conduct of another "devotee" leading to similar results. It

is not improvable that this second solemn duty of those responsible

for the journal at any cost to analyse the mentality of

these "devotees" frankly, so as to prevent further repetition of

iconoclastic frenzy.

 

 

 

Let us carefully dive into the minds and hearts of numerous devotees

who proclaim their devotion to Sai with complacency and pride. In

most cases, the devotion will be found to be a bargain, - Sai to

give so much temporal benefit and the devotee to offer his

Namaskaram, Archanas, Naivedyams & c., in return. Most people

frankly declares that (only) in case of the benefit being reaped,

the devotion will be confirmed and the proposed Naivedyams & c,.

Offered. This may not be considered Bhakti at all and in any case,

not a Bhakti of a very estimable sort. But all the same, this is how

devotion starts, is made to start or can start in the vast majority

of cases. No objection should be raised to deed if Bhakti should

continue to be crude, after the early days and stages are passed.

The child soon throws away its teething ring, trundle hoop and

spring toys, one after another. So should a Bhakta soon recognize

the absurdity of resorting to God (or God men. who are the

manifestations of God that men can easily reach to) merely to pull

out one's earthly chestnuts from the fire. God is not to be

bargained with and God knows what is really good for a devotee

better than the devotee. Regard for God beginning with gratitude for

one or more extraordinary acts of help must turn into Love of a

child to its mother touched into sublimity by dim perception of

Infinite Power, Wisdom & c,. in the unseen Universal Mother. Failure

to advance will be not mere stagnation but descent into lower levels.

 

Let us note the evil effect of continues looking to BABA for earthly

benefits. Our longing for earthly benefits gets strengthened i.e.,

Rajas and Tamas get more and more to predominate in our nature,

clouding the Satwa and even temporarily banishing it from us. The

evils of Tamas and Rajas rise up at once. A bit of disappointment

makes us angry with God and Saints that we have just worshiped for

earthly objects alone and we break our idols and gods, fiercely

trample upon them and gloat over our vandalism. If we but worshipped

in the correct spirit, we would ask for earthly benefits, not in a

bargaining spirit, nor in terms of dictation but with humble

submission, recognizing the possibility that the All-wise Mother-God

might deem it better to disappoint us and make us suffer in the

Present, to wipe off old Karmic accounts, to develop the Satwic side

of our nature and to fit us perhaps for the position decreed by

Supreme Wisdom and Mercy. The Omnipresent, Omniscient and Universal

Mothers provides for the present and future of innumerable creatures

with apparently conflicting interests and may make use of us as her

instruments or even as agents to carry out her high decrees. It is

for us to submit prayers are found to be receptive. If we are in

this proper mood, prayers are found to be needless assertions of

Ego, not prompting but retarding our real progress.

 

These general observations have been made with a view to help people

to approach Sai Baba, one of the most powerful manifestations of God

of recent times, in the correct spirit. Let people go to him for

earthly benefit if they want. But let them realize more and more

that it is God that they are really dealing with. Let the apparent

distinction between Baba and God that appears at first so patent be

dissolved in the increased appreciation of the divine attributes of

Sai Baba i.e., his wonderful and obviously limitless love and power,

Wisdom and Mercy. Let us recognize that our notions of God are

really abstractions and that it is before us in trying to clutch at

abstractions that are so elusive. If we recognize Baba as God or

divine amsa, can we ever try to break his image without descending

to the level-of a Hiranya Kasipa or Kamsa?

 

It is not unlikely that just a few people that read the above may

feel hurt. No personal hit, however against any particular person is

intended, and the writer deprecates the assumption of any personal

animus in him. But the intention of the article is deliberately to

hit at certain traits and attitudes. People sticking to those traits

and attitudes may feel aggrieved at the hit. The writer must only

apologise and hope that his motive, i.e., desire to benefit the soul

by pruning off dead and dying matter will be ultimately appreciated

when the soul's growth is prompted as a result of such pruning.

(Adopted from Sai Sudha Jan 1944)