Saibaba's Nature and Personality

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SaiBaba's Nature and Personality

It is on account of Sai Baba that Shirdi grew into importance. It is interesting

to study what sort of (a personage) Sai Baba was.Sai Baba conquered this Samsar

(worldly existence), which is like a deep sea, very difficult and hard to

cross. Peace or mental calm was His ornament and He was the repository of

wisdom. He was the home of Vaishnava and Shiva devotees, most liberal (like

Karna) amongst liberals, the quintessence of all essences. He had no love for

perishable things and was always engrossed in self-realization, which was His

sole concern. He felt no pleasure in the mandane things of this world or of the

world beyond. His Antarang (heart) was as clear as a mirror and His speech

always rained nectar. The rich or poor people were the same to Him. He did not

know or care for honor or dishonor.

ms" color="#333333">Baba was the Lord of all beings. He spoke freely and mixed

with all people, saw the acting and dances of ‘Nautchgirls’ and heard Gazhal

songs. Still, He swerved not an inch from Samadhi (mental equilibrium). The

name of Allah was always on His lips. While the world awoke, He slept; and

while the world slept, He was vigilant. His abdomen (Inside) was as calm as the

deep sea. His Ashram (life-stage) could not be determined, nor His actions could

be definitely determined and though He sat (lived) in one place, He knew all the

transactions of the world. His Darbar was imposing. He told daily hundreds of

stories; still He swerved not an inch from His vow of silence. He always leaned

against the wall in the Masjid or walked morning, noon and evening towards Lendi

(Nala) and Chavadi; still He at all times abided in the Self. Though a Siddha,

He acted like a Sadhaka. He was meek, humble and egoless, and pleased all. Such

was Sai Baba, and as the soil of Shirdi was trodden

by Sai Baba’s Feet, it attained extraordinary importance.Sai Baba did not mix

and speak with the people. He only gave answers when he was questioned. By day

he always sat under the Neem tree, sometimes under the shade of a branch of a

Babul tree near the stream at the outskirts of the village. Many Sanyasis,

Sadhakas and all sorts of men aspiring for salvation came to Sai Baba. He

always walked, talked and laughed with them and always uttered with His tongue

‘Allah Malik’ (God is the sole owner). He never liked or encouraged discussion

or arguments. He was always calm and controlled, though irritable at times,

always preached full Vedanta (knowledge) and nobody knew till the last the real

Baba.Dress Demeanor and Daily Routine

His demeanor was quiet and sober. However on occasions he used to get ruffled

because of some suggestion of calamity or evil in HIS devotees life. He did not

talk frequently and was in trance. His eyes penetrating skies. Since his young

days, Sai Baba grew hair on His head, never had His head shaved. He used to

wear a piece of white cloth round His head along with a long flowing Kafni. The

piece of white cloth on the head was twisted like matted hair and flowed down

from the left ear on the back. This was not washed for weeks. He wore no shoes,

no sandals. A piece of sackcloth was His seat for most of the day. He wore a

coupin (waist-cloth-band) and for warding off cold he always sat in front of a

Dhuni (sacred fire) facing South with His left hand resting on the wooden

railing. While sleeping at Chavadi Baba used to rest HIS head on a brick.Sai

Baba visited certain

houses daily and went from door to door where He stood as a beggar and called

out, "Oh Mai, give Me a piece of bread" and spread out His hand to receive the

same. In one hand He carried a Tumrel (tinpot) and in the other a zoli or

choupadari, i.e., a rectangular piece of cloth as food collecting bag. Liquid

or semi-liquid things such as soup, vegetables, milk or buttermilk were

received in the tinpot, while cooked rice, bread, and such solid things were

taken in the Zoli. Baba's tongue knew no taste as He had acquired control over

it. Whatever things He got in His Zoli and in the tinpot were mixed together

and partaken by Baba to His heart's content. The food collected was poured into

Kolamba - a stone pot and animals and birds used to cluster around the pot to

eat food. Baba never prevented them from eating. Baba begged till noon, but His

begging was very irregular. Some days He went a few rounds, on other days up to

twelve noon.In the afternoon, He used to walk at

random and go at times to neighboring villages where He used to frequent the

houses of some of His devotees.Style of TeachingAs for Sai Baba’s style of

teaching, He did not deliver lectures and rarely gave formal teachings. He has

never written anything by way of wordy philosophy. Rather, He taught orally by

parable, direct experience and the example of His own life. He assures all that

each could experience. His Devine Love and blessings flew directly and not

through any intermediary. All would experience fulfillment of their worldly

desires and also perfect satisfaction of their craving for self realization

(AATMA BODHA). There is no exception to this

experience. Baba’s way is to cater directly to the needs of each individual and

He did not require His devotees to take up any rituals or conventionally

prescribed practice, nor did He favoured any particular path over another. Baba

generally discouraged people from changing their chosen form of worship in GOD

and never advised total detachment from worldly life and changeover of

preference for a particular deity as GOD. He advised perfect loyalty in and

faith in the power and blessings of the Almighty (ALLAH MALIK) and patience for

the results of action (KARMA). As a result of Baba's grace, devotees experience

self-generated conviction and faith that whatever their desires and aspirations

are, they will never go unnoticed by Baba and they would not return empty-handed

from SAI-COURT

(DARBAR).

Arun Reddy Nukala

http://groups.msn.com/

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