SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM [10]

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Om Sri Sai Ram

SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM

The Life Stories of the Two Avatars of the Age – [10]

SHRI SAI SATCHARITA

The Life of the Divine Avatar Sai Baba of Shirdi

By Hemadpant

CHAPTER X

Sai Baba's Mode of Life - His Sleeping board - His Stay in Shirdi - His

Teachings - His Humility – The Easiest Path

Remember Him (Sai Baba) always with love, for He was engrossed in doing good to

all, and always abided in His Self. To remember Him only is to solve the riddle

of life and death. This is the best and easiest of Sadhanas, as it involves no

expenditure. A little exertion here brings great rewards. So as long as our

senses are sound, we should, minute my minute, practice this Sadhana. All other

Gods are illusory; Guru is the only God. If we believe in Sad-guru's Holy Feet,

he can change our fortune for the better. If we serve Him nicely, we get rid of

our Samsara. We need not study any philosophy like the Nyaya and the Mimansa. If

we make Him our Helmsman, we can easily cross over the sea of all our pains and

sorrows. As we trust the helmsman in crossing rivers and seas, so we have to

trust

our Sadguru in getting over the ocean of worldly existence. The Sadguru looks to

the intense feeling and devotion of his devotees, endows them with knowledge and

eternal bliss.

In the last chapter, Baba's mendicancy, and devotees' experiences and other

subjects are dealt with. Let the readers now hear, where and how Baba lived,

how He slept, and how He taught etc.

BABA'S WONDERFUL BEDSTEAD

Let us first see where and how Baba slept, Mr. Nanasaheb Dengale brought, for

Sai Baba, a wooden plank, amount 4 cubits in length and only a span in breath,

for sleeping upon. Instead of keeping the plank on the floor and then sleeping

on it, Baba tied it like a swing to the rafters of the Masjid with old shreds

or rags and commenced to sleep upon it. The rags were so thin and worn out that

it was a problem how they could bear or support even weight of the plank itself,

let alone the weight of Baba. But somehow or other-it was Baba's sheer Leela

that the worn out rags did sustain the plank, with the weight of Baba on it. On

the four corners of this plank, Baba lighted panatis (earthen lamps), and one at

each corner and kept them burning the whole night. It was a sight for the Gods

to see

Baba sitting or sleeping on this plank! It was a wonder to all, how Baba got up

and down the plank. Out of curiosity, many careful observers kept watching the

process of mounting and dismounting, but none succeeded. As crowds began to

swell so to detect this wonderful feat, Baba one day broke the plank into

pieces and threw it away. Baba had all the eight Siddhis (powers) at His

command. He never practiced nor craved for them. They came to Him naturally, as

a result of His perfection.

SAGUN MANIFESTATION OF BRAHMAN

Though Sai Baba looked like a man, three cubits and a half in length, still He

dwelt in the hearts of all. Inwardly, he was unattached and indifferent, but

outwardly, He longed for public welfare. Inwardly most disinterested, He looked

outwardly full of desires, for the sake of His devotees. Inwardly an abode of

peace, he looked outwardly restless. Inwardly He had the state of Brahman;

outwardly He acted like a devil. Inwardly He had the state of Brahman;

outwardly he acted like a devil. Inwardly He loved Adwaita (union or monism),

outwardly He got entangled with the world. Sometimes He looked on all with

affection, and at times He threw stones at them; sometimes He scolded them,

while at times He embraced them and was calm, composed, tolerant and well

balanced. He always abided and was

engrossed in the Self and was well disposed towards His Bhaktas. He always sat

on one Asan and never traveled. His 'band' was a small stick, which He always

carried in His hand. He was calm, being thought-free. He never cared for wealth

and fame and lived on begging. Such a life He led. He always uttered 'Allah

Malik' (God the real owner). Entire and unbroken was His love for the Bhaktas.

He was the mine or storehouse for self-knowledge and full of Divine Bliss. Such

was the Divine Form of Sai Baba, boundless, endless and undifferentiated. One

principle, which envelops the whole universe, (from a stone pillar to Brahma)

incarnated in Sai Baba. The really meritorious and fortunate people got this

treasure-trove in their hands, while those people who not knowing the real

worth of Sai Baba took or take Him to be a man, a mere human being, were and

are indeed miserable.

HIS STAY IN SHIRDI AND PROBABLE BIRTH-DATE

None knew or knows the parents and exact birth-date of Sai Baba; but it can be

approximately determined by His stay in Shirdi. Baba first came to Shirdi, when

he was a young lad of sixteen and stayed there for three years. Then all of a

sudden He disappeared for some time. After some time, He reappeared in the

Nizam State near

Aurangabad, and again came to Shirdi with the marriage-party of Chand Patil,

when He was twenty years old. Since then, He stayed in Shirdi continuously for

a period of sixty years, after which Baba took His Maha-Samadhi in the year

1918. From this we can say that the year of Baba's birth is approximately 1838

AD

BABA'S MISSION AND ADVICE

Saint Ramdas (1608-1681) flourished in the 17th century, and fulfilled to a

great extent his mission of protecting cows and Brahmins against the Yavanas

(Mohammedans), but within two centuries after him, the split between the two

communities -- Hindus and Mohammedans widened again, and Sai Baba came to

bridge the gulf. His constant advice to all was to this effect. "Rama (the God

of the Hindus) and Rahim (the God of the Mohammedans) were one and the same;

there was not the slightest difference between them; then why should their

devotees and quarrel among themselves? You ignorant folk, children, join hands

and bring both the communities together, act sanely and thus you will gain your

object of national unity. It is not good to dispute and argue. So don't argue,

don't emulate others.

Always consider your interest and welfare. The Lord will protect you. Yoga,

sacrifice, penances, and knowledge are the means to attain God. If you do not

succeed in this by any means, vain is your birth. If any one does any evil unto

you, to do not retaliate. If you can do anything, do some good unto other." This

in short was Sai Baba's advice to all; and this will stand in good stead both in

material and spiritual matters.

SAI BABA AS SADGURU

There are Gurus and Gurus. There are many so-called Gurus, who go about from

house to house with cymbals and veena in their hands, and make a show of their

spirituality. They blow mantras into the ears of their disciples and extract

money from them. They profess to teach piety and religion to their disciples,

but are themselves impious and irreligious. Sai Baba never thought of making

the least show of His worth (piety). Body-consciousness, He had none, but He

had great love for the disciples. There are two kinds of Gurus (1) 'Niyat'

(appointed or fixed) and (2) 'Aniyat' unappointed or general). The latter by

their advice develop the good qualities in us, purify our hearts and set us on

the path of salvation; but contact with the former, dispels our quality (sense

of difference); and

establishes us in Unity by making us realize "Thou art that". There are various

Gurus imparting to us various kinds of worldly knowledge, but he, who fixes us

in our Nature (Self) and carries us beyond the ocean of worldly existence, is

the Sadguru. Sai Baba was such a Sadguru. His greatness is indescribable. If

anybody went to take His Darshan, he, without being asked, would give every

detail of his past, present and future life. He saw Divinity in all beings.

Friends and foes were alike to Him. Disinterested and equal-balanced, He

obliged the evildoers. He was the same in prosperity and adversity. No doubt,

ever touched Him. Though He possessed the human body, He was not in the least

attached to His body or house. Though He looked embodied, He was really

disembodied, i.e., free in this every life.

Blessed are the people of Shirdi, who worshipped Sai as their God. While eating,

drinking, working in their backyards and fields and doing various household

works, they always remembered Sai and sang His glory. They knew no other God

except Sai. What to speak of the love, the sweetness of the love, of the women

of Shirdi! They were quite ignorant, but their pure love inspired them to

compose poems or songs in their simple rural language. Letters or learning they

had none, still one can discern real poetry in their simple songs. It is not

intelligence, but love that inspire real poetry as such. Real poetry is the

manifestation of true love; and this can be seen and appreciated by intelligent

listeners. Collection of these folk songs is desirable and Baba willing, some

fortunate devotee may

undertake the task of collecting and publishing these folk-songs, either in the

Sai Leela magazine or separately in a book-form.

BABA'S HUMILITY

Lord or Bhagawan is said to have six qualities, viz. (1) Fame, (2) Wealth, (3)

Non-attachment, (4) Knowledge, (5) Grandeur, and (6) Generosity. Baba had all

these in Him. He incarnated in flesh for the sake of the Bhaktas. Wonderful was

His grace and kindness! He drew the devotees to Him, or how else one could have

known Him! For the sake of His Bhaktas Baba spoke such words, as the Goodness

of Speech dare not utter. Here is a specimen. Baba spoke very humbly as

follows:- "Slave of slaves I am your debtor, I am satisfied at your Darshan. It

is a great favor that I saw your feet. I am an insect in your excreta. I

consider Myself blessed thereby". What humility is this? If anybody would think

that by publishing this, any disrespect is shown to Sai, we beg His pardon and

to atone for this we

sing and chant Baba's name.

Though Baba seemed outwardly to enjoy sense-objects, he had not the least flavor

in them, nor even the consciousness of enjoying them. Though He ate, he had no

taste and though He saw, He never felt any interest in what He saw. Regarding

passion, He was as perfect a celibate as Hanuman. He was not attached to

anything. He was pure consciousness, the resting-place of desire, anger, and

other feelings. In short, He was disinterested, free and perfect. A striking

instance may be cited in illustration of this statement.

NANAVALLI

There was in Shirdi, a very quaint and queer fellow, by name Nanavalli. He

looked to Baba's work and affairs. He once approached Baba, who was seated on

His Gadi (seat) and asked Him to get up, as he wanted to occupy the same. Baba

at once got up and left the seat, which he occupied. After sitting there awhile

Nanavalli got up, and asked Baba to take His seat. Then Baba sat on the seat and

Nanavalli fell at His feet, and then went away. Baba did not show the slightest

displeasure in being dictated to and ousted. This Nanavalli loved Baba so much

that he breathed his last, on the thirteenth day of Baba's taking Maha-Samadhi.

 

THE EASIEST PATH

Hearing the stories of the Saints and Being in their Company: Though Sai Baba

acted outwardly like an ordinary man, His actions showed extraordinary

intelligence and skill. Whatever He did, was done for the good of His devotees.

He never prescribed any aaasan, regulation of breathing or any rites to His

Bhaktas, nor did He blow any mantra into their ears. He told them to leave off

all cleverness and always remember "SaiSai". "If you did that" He said, "all

your shackles would be removed and you would be free". Sitting between five

fires, sacrifices, chanting, eight-fold Yoga are possible for the Brahmins

only. They are of no use to the other classes. The function of the mind is to

think, it cannot remain for a minute without thinking. If you give it a

Sense-object, it will think about

it. If you give it to a Guru, it will think about Guru. You have heard most

attentively the greatness, grandeur of Sai. This is the natural remembrance,

worship and Kirtan of Sai. Hearing the stories of the Saints is not so

difficult, as the other Sadhanas mentioned above. They (stories) remove all

fear of this Samsara (worldly existence), and take you on to the spiritual

path. So listen to these stories, meditate on them, and assimilate them. If

this is done, not only the Brahmins, but also women and lower classes will get

pure and holy. You may do or attend to your worldly duties, but give your mind

to Sai and His stories, and then, He is sure to bless you. This is the easiest

path, but why do not all take to it? The reason is that without God's grace, we

do not get the desire to listen to the stories of Saints. With God's grace

everything is smooth and easy. Hearing the stories of the Saints is, in a way,

keeping their company. The importance of the company of Saints is very

great. It removes our body-consciousness and egoism, destroys completely the

chain of our birth and death, cuts asunder all the knots of the heart, and

takes us to God, Who is pure Consciousness. It certainly increases our

non-attachment to sense-objects, and makes us quite indifferent to pleasures

and pains, and leads us on the spiritual path. If you have no other Sadhana,

such as uttering God's name, worship or devotion etc., but if you take refuge

in them (Saints) whole-heartedly, they will carry you off safety across the

ocean of worldly existence. It is for this reason that the Saints manifest

themselves in this world. Even sacred rivers such as the Ganges,

10pt">Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri etc., which wash away the sins of the world,

desire that the Saints should come to them, for a bath and purify them. Such is

the grandeur of the Saints. It is on account of the store of merit in past

births that we have attained the feet of Sai Baba.

We conclude this chapter with meditation on Sai's Form. He, the beautiful and

handsome Sai, standing on the edge of the Masjid and distributing Udi to each

and every Bhakta, with a view to his welfare. He who thinks the world as naught

and who is ever engrossed in Supreme Bliss -- before Him -- we humbly prostrate

ourselves.

BOW TO SHRI SAI - PEACE BE TO ALL

*****

SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM - Part I

The Life of the Divine Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

By N. Kasturi, M.A., B.L.

THE RAIN CLOUD

Those who have had the good fortune of listening to a discourse by Baba at a

public gathering will always cherish the thrill and the inspiration of the

experience. Nothing will ever diminish the exhilaration of that occasion. Baba

speaks generally in Telugu, though He converses with devotees in several

languages including Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Sindhi, and English. His omniscience

finds expression in any medium. His diction and style are simple and direct,

full of proverbs, parables and illustrations taken from the actual experience

of the people around Him. His words become engraved in the hearts of the

listeners.

He refuses to name His discourses "speeches", for they are never prepared in

advance or delivered over the heads of the people or directed to the masses. He

prefers to describe them as "conversation". His way of probing into personal

problems and answering individual doubts make that appellation very apt. The

effect of His discourse is always as if He is speaking only to an individual.

Within a minute or two He has one's attention to a point that he forgets he is

one among thousands and yields himself to Baba's diagnosis and treatment. The

face that enchants, the voice that endears, the smile that illumines, the

gesture that clarifies, all become one's personal possessions. His advice and

His appeal are so intimate and imbued with love that one's entire self is

surrendered to Him by the time He

finishes. He is not just an orator, or evangelist, or a teacher. He is the Rain

Cloud come to nourish parched lives.

Baba declared when a boy that He would undertake His task of teaching in His

thirty-second year. Until that age He discoursed only occasionally, either at

Prashanthi Nilayam or on the sands of the Chitravathi River when devotees

gathered around Him and sought His Guidance. At times he spoke at the

Sathya Sai Baba District Board High School at Bukkapatnam where He presided over

functions such as the "School Day". At the Nilayam or on the sands, the

discourse usually commenced with a question posed by a devotee on a general

problem affecting social conduct or spiritual endeavor. Baba would shed light

not only on the main question but also on all related topics. A chance question

on life after death once brought forth from Baba a very illuminating discourse

on the journey of the disembodied soul, the inner significance of the funeral

rites of the different communities, the existence of ghosts, the chances of

communicating with

the dead, and even the custom of naming the grandchild after the grandfather.

Such discussions arise informally on almost every occasion. Baba is ever

willing to impart the courage born of conviction. He is the superb educator.

Once a few devotees had the opportunity to be with Baba at Horsley Hills for a

week. Every morning and evening Baba sat with the devotees and introduced new

problems of spiritual discipline. He asked everyone to reveal to Him his

spiritual practice, ideals and ideas, the name and form of the Godhead which

appealed to him, the spiritual text having the greatest influence in shaping

his life, the picture each had formed of the Ultimate Reality, and the goal of

each one's spiritual discipline. He poured light on the dark corners of each

heart. This He has been doing, even as a child. Did His grandfather, Kondama

Raju, not name him the “Little Master”? The old man would swell with pride and

joy when he sat listening to a discourse given by Baba a few days before his

passing in

1950.

At school He dissuaded His playmates from smoking cigarettes; He evinced disgust

at spiced, rich, and stale food. He warned His friends to stay away from

cinemas. He encouraged them all to sing songs in praise of God, to wear the

Holy Ash and observe habits of personal cleanliness.

At Kamalapuram, as a schoolboy, He composed songs warning against the evil of

drink, the dangerous consequences of illiteracy, on the abject condition of the

untouchables, and on the degradation of village factions. He wrote a social play

named the "Changed Times", which contained many folk, tunes depicting the tricks

used to catch peoples' attention by seekers of power. It further depicts the

piteous plight of a great poet and seer whose warnings go unheeded. Everyone,

except a poor peasant; neglects him his children become destitute. Men of straw

take vengeance upon the children for the words of wisdom their father dared

utter. Times change. The children win power and re-establish the Golden Age

when the immortal words of the poet are sung again and put into

practice.

Baba was entreated by actors in village plays to write dialogues for their

roles. Whenever He acted a role, He composed the songs and speeches for

Himself. Invariably these compositions breathed a high moral note and stood out

above the rest of the drama, attracting attention by their superior style,

diction, and appeal.

The role of the teacher is fundamental to Sai Baba. "I never utter a word that

does not have significance, or do a deed without beneficial consequence", He

once declared. Even the most casual remark is filled with valuable advice.

Addressing a lady who was struggling to keep her child quiet, He said, "See!

Sitting astride your hip, the child cries, 'Mother, Mother', not realizing that

Mother herself is holding him in her clasp. This is what everyone here is doing.

They do not know that the Lord is the Mother who clasps them; they simply cry,

'Mother, Mother' ".

Once seeing the item "Welcome Speech" in the program of a meeting, Baba said, "I

am in you and so you need not welcome Me. I shall not come because you call, or

go because you deny". He is always and everywhere the teacher, the friend,

philosopher and guide. He slowly and steadily moulds the character and outlook

of everyone who offers himself for His guidance or of those He selects for such

training.

When, at Prashanthi Nilayam or elsewhere, someone is reciting or explaining a

text such as the Gita, the Ramayana, the Bhagavatham or Upanishad, He watches

the audience for a while, and taking His cue from a word or phrase, explains to

the delight of the learned and the unlearned alike, the obscurity which worries

them. In this way He has unraveled many mysteries of the sacred scriptures.

In the discourses Baba gives at Prashanthi Nilayam, He often expounds highly

philosophical subjects. He once cautioned, "You are all no longer 'young'; you

must go from the lower class to the next higher one". By means of stories and

parables, proverbs and metaphors, He simplifies the most complex philosophical

theory. One day He spoke on the topic of the inspiring company of the good and

described how it can lead man on to the disinclination to be in company, that

is to say, how the companionship of the good leads one to the giving up of

attachment itself. Baba made these observations on a Festival Night of Siva:

"Mind is presided over by the moon, and every month the moon is almost worn out

on the fourteenth night after the full moon. One's ambition should be to destroy

the mind's whims,

fancies and vagaries and to strive his utmost on that night to increase his

discipline to achieve victory of the forces of goodness, of the pure Self over

the downward impulses. That night has to be dedicated to God".

The summer solstice begins the divine half-year when the sun, which presides

over illumined mind of man, is proceeding on the northward divine path. "Swim

with the current", Baba says. "The sun itself is journeying northward toward

Kailash, the lofty mountain peak of Self-realization, the Paradise of Siva.

This is the best time for

spiritual initiation and practice."

On the special "Day for Honoring the Teacher," Baba reminds devotees and

aspirants to revere the teachers and the wisdom they embody. He describes the

essential characteristics of teachers and explains the criteria by which they

can distinguish the true from the false. Every discourse of Baba has a novelty

of its own, a thrill, a joy, which is its unique mark!

Baba says that in His discourses He serves "medicinal food", not "festival

food". Therefore He appeals to the listeners not to miss a fragment of the meal

or carelessly throw away even a morsel of a word. He is the "Great Physician"

come to heal. No two discourses are the same in tone or content. He says, "Mine

is not a lecture; it is a mixture!" He has no one prescription for all!

Speaking to high school students at Chittoor, He gave detailed instructions

regarding preparation for examinations and the systematic way in which they

have to be tackled in the hall. "Mark all the questions which you feel you can3

successfully answer; answer them; then tackle the rest; you will then be in a

better and a more confident mood," He said. He discussed problems of the

classroom and the football field with an intimacy that was very remarkable.

Presiding over the Prize-giving Ceremony of the District Sports at Penukonda, He

spoke on the emphasis wrongly placed on competition and on winning, pitting

school against school, boy against boy. He then pointed out that the spirit in

which victory or defeat is taken is much more important than the actual result

of the event.

At Madakasira, on a similar occasion, He punned upon the word Bahumati, meaning

both "prize" and "many-mindedness," and declared, "I always distribute

single-mindedness, never Bahumati or many-mindedness"! He then asked the

winners to thank the losers, for if the losers had put forth a little more

effort, they might have won and deprived the others of carrying away the

prizes!

Inaugurating the Girls' High School at Venkatagiri, He expounded the good habits

that students should develop: "Be ever careful about your books, for your

parents have sacrificed much to get them for you. Do not quarrel with your

brothers and sisters and thus make the home a nest of discontent. Do not envy

classmates who are richer. Be content. Do not show off. Speak the truth always,

for falsehood is the result of cowardice. Get up early in the morning at five,

and after bathing, sit alone quietly and meditate on the Lord. Go to sleep at

nine in the evening, and before lying down, pray to the Lord. Tell Him to

accept all that you have done during the day, because it has been done

truthfully and dutifully, and ask Him to give you strength to serve Him and His

children, your brothers and sisters. In the

morning thank Him for the day dawning before you, and ask that it may be given

to you to spend usefully for yourself and for others."

Addressing the villagers of Mirthipadu, Baba spoke on topics within their

knowledge: "By the sweat of your brow, you transform dirt and dust into

nourishing, relishing food for man and beast. What a holy task you perform

daily! I am very happy to be in your midst today. You bear innumerable troubles

and toils and place firm reliance on your own selves. You move about these green

fields, wafted by the cool breeze beneath the blue sky. How nice it would be if,

when you walk along the edges of these fields, you sing the glory of the Lord

who is immanent in all this beauty, all this plenty, and all this grandeur! Do

not contaminate the atmosphere by words of anger against one another; purify it

by repeating the name of the Lord".

So, too, at Budili village, on the banks of the Chitravathi, He spoke of the

sweetness and purity of the peasant's life and of the village being the

foundation of the culture of the country. He also spoke of the need of

gratitude for benefits received, the dangers of faction, and the value of

traditional religious-like singing and temple worship. He said He had noticed

that someone had dumped a broken cart on the temple porch, an act-demonstrating

disregard for the sacred precincts. He exhorted the young men of the village to

serve it with all their intelligence and devotion.

If it is a function connected with a hospital, Baba has valuable advice for the

organizers as well as the gathering. At the Sathya Sai Hospital

FONT-SIZE: 10pt">, He once deplored that the doctors should, in their report,

write about the "progress" achieved when actually the number of inpatients and

outpatients had increased. He said that He would be happy only when there was

full health for everyone. This could be achieved - mostly by the gaining of

peace. "Worry, greed, needless agitation, and anxiety - these cause even bodily

disease. Disease is want of ease; the contented mind is the best drug. The body

must be well looked after, since it is the boat, which helps us to cross the

sea of experiences. So it should not be weakened either by habits, which sap

the strength, or by overdoing of disciplines such as fasting. Learning Yogic

practices from books and practicing them with the aid of leaflets and charts is

also a fertile source of illness, both physical and mental. Be good, be joyful,

be bold, be honest, be temperate, be patient. These are all rules of health.

Good character is the most valuable source of

health." Such is His practical advice.

In many places the devotees conduct regular prayers on the pattern of the

prayers at Prashanthi Nilayam. Once a year on a selected day, they carry on the

sessions for twenty- four hours without interruption. At the conclusion of one

such entire period of singing of holy songs at Bangalore, Baba gave a discourse

in which He pointed out that one's life must itself become an unbroken session

of devotion to God. For devotees of Sathya Sai Baba the practice of the

constant presence of the Lord is comparatively easy, for by experience they

know that Baba is ever behind

them, beside them, with them, and in them. Baba accosts all of them with

questions concerning aspects of their behavior or thinking, which they

considered most secret and known only to themselves. Once when a student from

Rajahmundry told Him that he had prepared single-mindedly for the examination,

giving up all other activities, Baba turned to him, asking, "What? Did you not

go one night to a dinner at the hostel and come home very late? Did you not go

another day with some relatives who had come from your village to the bazaar to

purchase some clothes for them?"

At a Bangalore prayer session, Baba said that one should try to discover why, in

spite of the multiplicity of societies organizing prayer gatherings and

religious discourses, there is no corresponding increase in the moral standard

of the people. "Singing prayers has become a ritual, a routine, a rigmarole.

What is spoken by the tongue is not put into practice," He admonished.

By faith Baba does not mean blind faith. He insists on inquiry as an essential

requisite for spiritual progress. "Follow the discipline and test yourself," He

says. "Come and stay at Prashanthi Nilayam; move with Me and experience My

company and conversation. Listen to Me and watch Me and then form your

conclusions; get in and know the depth; eat and know the taste. Discipline and

spiritual practice are necessary to know God, patient sincere discipline. If

the spark of faith must grow into a raging fire, build carefully. Take refuge

occasionally in the depths of your own mind, in silence, and loneliness." This

is He advices.

At Trivandrum Baba posed a question: "How is it that, in spite of advance in

education and literacy in this State, the enthusiasm shown by parents, teachers

and children in imparting and acquiring learning gives people no peace of mind?"

He then spoke of the mind as having the double nature of wind, the wind that

gathers the rain clouds and also scatters them. He explained the means and

methods of controlling vagaries of the mind. He said, " I refuse to call anyone

an atheist or an unbeliever, for all are the creations of the Lord and

repositories of His Grace. In

everyone's heart there is a spring of love, a rock of truth. That Love is God;

that Truth is God. Divinity is there in the depths of everyone's Inner Being.

By systematic and continuous boring, the uninterrupted dig, dig, dig, of Ram,

Ram, Ram - God, God, God - the name repeated with every breath - the spring can

be touched and the waters of Divinity can be made to gush forth to the joy and

satisfaction of all."

At Nuzvid Baba emphasized the religious factions and partisanship rampant in

India. He said that the Lord is above and beyond all limits of caste and color,

wealth and poverty; that it is foolish to believe that the Lord asks for gifts

or is angry when they are not offered. He warned His listeners against

religious leaders who go about with lists of donors and rs, teachers

who have an eye on one's purse and money, who keep the vow of silence by

resorting to all other means of communication except the easy, natural and

convenient way of talking!

At Arkonam village, when the Secretary of the Divine Life Society read in his

report that those who paid an annual fee of four annas could become members,

Baba said that He would allow anyone who had, not four annas, but four virtues,

to become members of the Society of Divine Life!

At Madras, while speaking to the members of the Young Men's Indian Association,

He pleaded with the elders present to become for the young men of today, better

examples of integrity, efficiency, and selfless service. "Prominent personages

claiming to be great, declaim about freely quoting the similes and metaphors in

the sacred scriptures. But by their conduct, their conceit, and their conflicts,

they only diminish the luster of those treasures. There is no coordination

between the speaker, the subject, and the subsequent conduct," He said. At the

Gokhale Hall, He said that man must seek the answers to four fundamental

questions: "Who am I? Where have I come from? Whither am I going? How long will

I stay?" He said that the ancient Indian scriptural texts are devoted to the

discovery of the answers to

these queries. He showed how the answers can be realized through Science, but He

said that the Lord's Grace, if won through constant contemplation and

introspection, will reveal the answers to the aspirant in an instant.

Analyzing the causes of the present crisis in the moral life of the community,

He pointed out that cynicism and the urge to satirize are two main diseases of

the age, and these lead to irreverence and the spread of disbelief. A life

lived in the constant presence of God is the most secure and happy, for the

shafts of social criticism will not penetrate it and cause it pain. Religion

and belief in God are being challenged now from all quarters. It is therefore

the duty of all good men to meet this challenge by demonstrating to the critics

how their lives have been made sweeter by religion; how the realization of the

constant presence of the Lord has made them more efficient, more earnest, and

more courageous for the task of living.

At the All-India Sai Samaj, He declared, "You take up the dictionary to find out

the meaning of a certain word, but as you turn the pages in order to spot it,

other words attract your attention and you are drawn toward them and their

meanings. So, too, you might come to Me with an immediate purpose, but while

doing so, you come to know that you can use Me to solve deeper dilemmas,

assuage more poignant pains, and secure greater spiritual peace." Baba uses

every opportunity to bring home to His listeners that their effort, their

discrimination, their sacrifice, their steadiness alone can give them what they

need, namely, poise.

At the Santi Kuteeram, Royapuram, He spoke once on Srî Krishna and another time

on the Bhagavad Gita. He gave a number of incidents from the life of Srî

Krishna, which are not found in the books and made His discourse most

instructive and illuminating. He formed a pun on the word Gita, which, when the

syllables are read from the other end, becomes a Telugu word meaning "drink!" He

said that unless the nectar of the Gita is drunk and assimilated, one couldn’t

get any result. Mere panditry or pompous scholarship on the Gita and its

thousand commentaries is all a waste of precious time.

He once told an audience at Puttaparthy, that there are two paths; one relating

to the physical world, the social world and the community to which one belongs,

and the other relating to one's self alone, the Soul, and the disciplines

connected with its fulfillment. Man must grasp God with the right hand and the

world with the left. Gradually the left will lose its hold. "Do not worry about

this; it has to be so; that is why it is called 'left!' But the right hand must

not be allowed to loosen its grip, for it is right that it should grip tightly;

that is why it is called ‘right’!" Statements of Baba such as these remain in

the memory, and listeners will long ponder them, deriving sustenance and joy.

At Venkatagiri, inaugurating the spiritual seminar, He declared that the bane of

the Indian has been the absence of cordiality and brotherliness. At Nellore,

addressing an audience of fifty thousand, He enthralled the listeners for over

an hour. He spoke of discrimination and the need for faith based on inquiry and

reason. At Gudur, speaking of the magic influence of love, He declared, "You

will not be wrong if you characterize Me as the Personification of Love."

At Peddapuram He exhorted everyone to have muscles of iron and nerves of steel

to become heroes with no trace of weakness, cowardice, or sense of inferiority.

"Do not call yourselves the children of sin; there is no sin worse than that you

are inheritors of immortality, every one of you; you have the Lord residing in

your hearts. He is the Inner Motivation of everything in creation. How then can

you be a child of sin?" He asked.

Often during His discourses, Baba illustrates His teachings by stories of

miracles of superhuman faculties. He relates events and incidents not found in

the current books on sages and saints but which have the hallmark of

authenticity. He knows the details of the lives of all the saints of India and

even of Western and Middle Eastern countries, and illustrates incidents from

the lives of Christian, Muslim, and Parsi saints. Hasan and Husain, Moses,

Jerome, and Paul are for Him as useful as the Indian saints Tyagaraja or

Pavharibaba to emphasize His

points. Baba is, has been, and will be; He is the Eternal Witness.

Indeed He reveals this aspect of His Reality very often in His discourses in

more or less direct declaration. As flashes of lightning, they bring to one's

consciousness, suddenly and with a thrill, the splendor of His personality. He

instructs, "Do not try to measure Me; you will only fail; try rather to

discover your own measure. Then you will better succeed in discovering My

measure. I engage in no asceticism; I do not meditate on anything at all; I do

not study; I am no aspirant, seeker, student, or even sage. I have come to

guide and bless all spiritual disciples. I am neither man nor woman, old nor

young; I am all these. Do not praise Me. I like you to approach Me without

fear, as a right; you do not extol your father, do you? You ask for something

from him as a right, do you not? I did not come

uninvited to this world; good men of all creeds and climes called out and

entreated; so I have come. You may be seeing Me today for the first time, but

you are all old acquaintances for Me; I know you through and through. I have no

characteristics; the law of cause and effect does not bind me. How then can

illusion affect Me? If I had come down with Weapon, Wheel, Mace or Lotus, the

traditional symbols of a beneficent God, you would have run away or put me into

an exhibition. If I were just like any one of you, you would not have cared at

all. That is why I have to take up this human form and show you now and then

these miracles and superhuman faculties. My task is the spiritual regeneration

of humanity through truth and love. I have come to show you how to live

usefully and die profitably! If you approach one step nearer to Me, I shall

advance three steps toward you. I am happiest when a person carrying a heavy

load of misery comes to Me, for he is most in need of what I have. All

are Mine, in the relationship. So those who worship Me are not nearer to Me than

others who do not." These are some of the illuminating flashes Baba has

presented in His discourses. "It is My Will that has brought every single one

of you to this place to listen to Me," He once said. That is the measure of His

Grace and Might!

These proclamations heighten the innate value and appeal of the message Baba

brings. He embraces everyone in his overwhelming love, and when He announces to

a gathering - "I do not discard anyone, I cannot; it is not My Nature to do so;

have no fear; I am yours, you are Mine"- an otherworldly intimacy is

immediately established between Him and the seeker. As a result, His words sink

deep into the consciousness, and striking root, slowly grow into good conduct

and uplifting character. He addresses the gathering as one. His primary purpose

is to awaken man from the sleep of ignorance and point out to him his real

nature, the imperishable, immortal Divine Self.

He inspires with: "You are the invincible, unaffected by the ups and downs of

life; the shadow which you cast while trudging along the road falls on dirt and

dust, bush and briar, stone and sand, but you are not worried at all, for you

walk unscathed. So, too, as the spiritual substance, you have no reason to be

worried over the fate of the shadow, the body." Baba makes this point very

clear by many examples and thus infuses an unshakable courage.

"My mission is to grant you courage and joy, to drive away weakness and fear."

He has said on many occasions. "Do not condemn yourselves as sinners; sin is a

misnomer for what are really errors. I shall pardon all your errors, provided

you repent sincerely and resolve not to follow evil again. Pray to the Lord to

give you strength to overcome the habits which had enticed you when you were

ignorant." Thus He kindles the flame of hope and health in every heart. By His

sweetness, His overpowering mercy, and His words of wisdom, He has corrected

the steps of hundreds and turned them toward the path of serving and striving.

A very touching incident happened the morning after a discourse He gave at

Nellore. A middle-aged man rushed into His room and fell at His Feet, rolling

on the ground and sobbing as a child. Baba knew the reason why. He turned to

those in His Presence, commenting, "Yesterday's story of Ramu," and asked them

to leave the room. The previous evening Baba had related the story of a little

boy, Ramu, who begged for food from door to door; his mother was very ill; he

called out in front of a house, enraging the master, who rushed toward him and

hit him on the head, causing him

to fall with the pot which contained his earnings. The blow killed him, and he

died with the words, "Mother! Mother! Who will give you food now?" on his lips.

That story and Baba's advice, that everyone must be grateful first to the father

and the mother to whom he owes his very existence, had struck remorse in the

heart of this man who, because of a small matter, had quarreled with his mother

and remained apart. Now he craved Baba's pardon to rehabilitate himself under

His auspices and with His blessing. Baba knew all of that without being told.

He patted him lovingly on the back. The sobs continued. Baba said, "Repentance

is enough expiation in itself! Come, come. Stop weeping. I shall be at your

village; bring your mother there and you shall get My blessings together. Go

and fetch her there before I arrive."

Many dramatic incidents of loans being repaid happen as a result of the

Grace-filled discourses of Baba. An aged father was thus helped. Neglected

wives were welcomed again, and men of deep-rooted habits of gambling or

drinking gave them up permanently. Baba's campaign of spreading the message of

love has only just begun, and all who have heard His message can clearly

visualize the significance of the declaration He made on the opening page of

Sanathana Sarathi, the monthly magazine He inaugurated on February 16, 1958,

the thirty-second year of His earthly

career. On that day, the Sanathana Sarathi, the charioteer, started out on the

campaign against falsehood, injustice, wickedness and evil - the minions of the

spirit of egoism. The victory to be won is the welfare of the entire world. When

the triumphant drums are beaten in the joy of success, humanity will have

achieved happiness and peace, prosperity and bliss.

Already the outlines of the plan of campaign are clear on the horizon. The

clarion call for the great task is Baba's fourfold program of "Be True, Be

Just, Be Quiet, Be Love." His Plan is for all humanity, for He says, "It is not

mentioned anywhere that the Grace of God is available only for certain classes

or races or grades of people. From the smallest to the biggest, throughout the

world, all are entitled to it. The Lord is everywhere, everything. He can be

realized by steady practice of truth and love. Truth is the highest justice and

love is the only path to peace."

Baba has also taken up the task of educating seekers and aspirants and

correcting the teachers and guides who are largely led astray by greed for name

and fame, for success in the competition for public support, and for the

evanescent glory of international fame or newspaper renown.

"Test everyone on the touchstone of sincerity; see how far each has renounced,

not merely in words, but in actual deed; then accept their advice and bring it

into your daily conduct and behavior. It is the practice that matters, not the

puffed pomp of scholarship," He insists.

CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

/

 

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