Sai Baba the Master

[Guest guest]

“Another distinguishing feature of his life was freedom from care and anxiety.

He had no interests to serve or protect, no institution to seek support for or

maintain, no acquisitions to safeguard; no private property to feel anxious

about.”

Though most of Sai Baba’s devotees had this insight, only some of them could be

careful enough not to lose sight of it under the blunting effect of familiarity

and prolonged contact. Not that it would lessen Baba’s influence. Only they are

likely to miss the joy of it and the real significance of their life’s precious

contact with him. To draw a parallel, Jesus told his apostles of his being the

Christ and of the power of their faith in him. Yet when their boat was tossed

by a stormy sea they panicked and Jesus Christ rebuked them as men ‘of little

faith’. His appearance in flesh and blood made them confuse the Christ with

Jesus, the son of Mary. So too inspite of several insights into Lord Krishna’s

divinity, Arjuna, repeatedly erred into treating him just as a human comrade, a

mere friend of yadava clan, for which he apologizes in “The Bhagavadgita”. Such

a view is presented by some accounts of Baba. Most surprisingly, this too comes

from one of Baba’s most intimate devotees, Madhavarao Deshpande whom Baba

called ‘Shama’. And Shama did repent, when Baba took samadhi, that he did not

make the best use of that contact. Except on rare occasions like the cure of a

snake bite, Baba rarely graced him with miraculous experiences. Once Shama even

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

Sahasranama.’ (The Thousand Divine Names of Lord Vishnu), 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.

Source: http://www.saibharadwaja.org