SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM -[12]

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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 – [12]

SHRI SAI SATCHARITA

The Life of the Divine Avatar Sai Baba of Shirdi

By Hemadpant

CHAPTER XII

Sai Leelas - Experience of (1) Kaka Mahajani (2) Dhumal Pleader (3) Mrs.

Nimonkar (4) Moolay Shastri (5) A Doctor

Now let us see in this Chapter how devotees were received and treated by Baba.

SAINTS' MISSION

We have seen before, that the purpose or object of Divine Incarnation is to

protect the good and destroy the wicked. But the mission of the Saints is quite

different. To them the good and the wicked are the same. First they feel for the

evildoers and set them on the right path. They are like the Agasti to destroy

the Bhava-sagar (the ocean of worldly existence) or like the Sun to the

darkness of ignorance. The Lord (God) dwells in the Saints. In fact they are

not different from Him. Our Sai is One of these, Who incarnated for the welfare

of the devotees, Supreme in knowledge and surrounded with divine lustre, He

loved all beings equally. He was unattached. Foes and friends, kings and

paupers, were the same to Him. Hear His powers. For the sake of devotees, He

spent His stock of merits and was ever alert to help them.

But the devotees could never approach Him, unless He meant to receive them. If

their turn did not come, Baba did not remember them, and His Leelas could not

reach their ears. Then, how could they think of seeing Him? Some men desired to

see Sai Baba's but they did not get any opportunity of taking His Darshan, till

His Maha-Samadhi. There are many such persons, whose desire for Baba's Darshan

was not thus satisfied. If these persons, believing in Him, listen to His

Leelas, their quest for milk (Darshan) will be, to a great extent, satisfied by

the buttermilk (Leelas). If some persons went there by sheer luck and took

Baba's Darshan, were they able to stay there longer? No. Nobody could go there

of his own accord, and nobody could stay there long even if he so wished. They

could stay there, so long as Baba permitted them to stay, and had to leave the

place when asked to do so by Baba; so everything depended of Baba's will.

KALA MAHAJANI

Once, Kaka Mahajani went to Shirdi from Bombay. He wanted to stay there for one

week, and enjoy the Gokulashtami festival. As soon as he took Baba's Darshan,

Baba asked him - "When are you returning home?" He was rather surprised at this

question, but he had to given an answer. He said that he would go home when Baba

ordered him to do so. Then Baba said - "Go to-morrow". Baba's word was law and

had to be obeyed. Kaka Mahajani, therefore, left Shirdi, immediately. When he

went to his office in Bombay, he found that his employer was anxiously waiting

for him. His munim, i.e., the manager, suddenly fell ill; hence Kaka's presence

was absolutely necessary. He had sent a letter to Kaka at Shirdi, which was

redirected to him at Bombay.

BHAUSAHEB DHUMAL

Now listen to an opposite story. Once Bhausaheb Dhumal, a pleader, was going to

Niphad for a case. On the way he came to Shirdi took Baba's Darshan and wanted

to proceed to Niphad immediately. But, Baba did not permit him to do so. He

made him stay at Shirdi, for a week or more. In the meanwhile, the magistrate

at Niphad suffered intensely from pain in his abdomen, and the case was

adjourned. Mr. Dhumal was then allowed to go and attend to his case. It went on

for some months and was tried by four Magistrates. Ultimately Mr. Dhumal won the

case, and his client was acquitted.

MRS. NIMONKAR

Mr. Nanasaheb Nimonkar, Watandar of Nomon and Honorary Magistrate, was staying

at Shirdi with his wife. Mr. and Mrs. Nimonkar were spending most of their time

in the Masjid with Baba and serving Him. It so happened, that their son fell ill

at Belapur and the mother decided, with Baba's consent, to go to Belapur, and

see her son and other relatives; and stay there for a few days, but Mr.

Nanasaheb asked her to return the next day. The lady was in a fix and did not

know what to do; but her God Sai came to her help. While leaving Shirdi she

went to Baba, who was standing in front of Sathe's Wada with Mr. Nanasaheb and

others, and prostrated at His Feet and asked His permission to go. Baba said to

her, "Go, go quickly, be calm and unperturbed. Stay comfortably at Belapur for

four days. See all your relatives and then return

to Shirdi." How opportune were Baba's words! Mr. Nanasaheb's proposal was

overruled by Baba's decree.

MOOLAY SHASTRI OF NASIK

An orthodox Agnihotri Brahmin of Nasik, by name moolay Shastri, who had studied

the six Shastras and was well-versed in astrology and palmistry, once came to

Shirdi to see Mr. Bapusaheb Booty, the famous millionaire of Nagpur. After

seeing him, he and others went to see Baba in the Masjid. Baba bought various

fruits and other things from vendors with His own money, and distributed them

to the persons present in the Masjid. Baba used to press the mango on all sides

so skillfully that when any person received it from Baba and sucked it; he got

all the pulp at once in his mouth and could throw away the stone and the skin

forthwith. Plantains were peeled off by Baba and the kernel was distributed to

the devotees, while the skins were retained by Baba for Himself. Moolay

Shastri, as a palmist, wanted to examine Baba's hand

or palm and requested Him to extend the same. Baba ignored his request and gave

four plantains to him. Then, they all returned to the Wada and Moolay Shastri

bathed, wore sacred clothes, and started his routine duties, viz. Agnihotra

etc. Then Baba as usual started for Lendi and said - "Take some Geru (i.e. a

red miry substance, to dye clothes in saffron-color), we shall today don

saffron-coloured cloth. None understood what Baba meant. Then after some time

when Baba returned and preparations for the noon-Arti were being made.

Bapusaheb Jog asked Moolay Shastri, whether he would accompany him for the

Arti. He replied that he would see Baba in the afternoon. Very soon Baba sat on

his seat, was worshipped by the devotees and Arti commenced. Then Baba said -

"Get some Dakshina from the new (Nasik) Brahmin."

Booty himself went to get the Dakshina; and when he gave Baba's message to

Moolay Shastri, he was sorely perplexed. He thought in his mind thus: "I am a

pure Agnihotri Brahmin, why should I pay Dakshina? Baba may be a great Saint. I

am not His dependent." But as a great Saint like Sai Baba was asking for

Dakshina through a millionaire like Booty, he could not refuse. So leaving his

routine unfinished, he forthwith started with Booty to the Masjid. Thinking

himself holy and sacred and the Masjid otherwise, he remained at a distance,

and joining his hands threw flowers at Baba. Then lo! all of a sudden, he saw

no Baba on the seat, but saw his late Guru Gholap Swami there. He was

wonder-struck. Could this be a dream? No, it was not, as he was wide-awake; but

though awake, how could his late Guru Gholap be there? He was speechless for

some time. He pinched himself and thought again, but could not reconcile the

fact of his late Guru Gholap being in the Masjid. Ultimately, leaving all

doubt, he went up, fell at his Guru's feet and then getting up stood there with

folded hands. Other people sang Baba's Arti, while Moolay Shastri chanted his

Guru's name. Then casting off all pride of caste and ideas about sacredness, he

fell flat at his Guru's feet and closed his eyes. When he got up and opened his

eyes, he saw Baba asking for Dakshina. Seeing Baba's blissful form, and His

inconceivable power, Moolay Shastri forgot himself. He was extremely pleased;

his eyes were full of tears of joy. He again saluted Baba and gave the

Dakshina. He said that his doubt was removed and that he saw his own Guru. On

seeing his wonderful Leela of Baba all the people, including Moolay Shastri,

were much moved, and they realized the meaning of Baba's words, "Bring Geru, we

shall don saffron-colored garment." Such is the wonderful Leela of Baba.

A DOCTOR

Once a Mamlatdar came to Shirdi with a doctor friend of his. The Doctor said

that his Deity was Rama and that he would not bow before a Mohammedan, and so,

he was unwilling to go to Shirdi. The Mamlatdar replied, that nobody would

press him to make a bow, nor would ask him to do so. So he should come and give

the pleasure of his company. Accordingly, they came to Shirdi, and went to the

Masjid for Baba's Darshan. All were wonder-struck to see the Doctor going ahead

and saluting Baba. They asked him how he forgot his resolve and bowed before a

Musalman. Then the Doctor replied that he saw his beloved Deity, Rama, on the

seat and he, therefore prostrated himself before Him. Then as he was saying

this, he saw Sai Baba there again. Being dismayed, he said, "Is this a dream?

How could He be a Mohammedan? He is a great

Yogasampanna (full of Yoga) Avatar." Next day, he made a vow and began to fast.

He absented himself from the Masjid, resolving not to go there, until Baba

blessed him. Three days passed and on the fourth day, a close friend of his

from Khandesh, turned up, and with him, he went to the Masjid for Baba's

Darshan. After the salutation, Baba asked him, whether anybody had gone to call

him, so that he had come. Hearing this vital question, the doctor was moved. The

same night he was blessed by Baba, and he experienced the Bliss supreme, in his

sleep. Then he left for his town, where the experienced the same state of a

fortnight. Thus his devotion to Sai Baba increased manifold.

The moral of all the stories mentioned above, specially, that of Moolay Shastri,

is this that we should have firm faith in our Guru and nowhere else. More Leelas

of Sai Baba will be described in the next Chapter.

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 CHARIOTEER

Lord Krishna, the sacred texts say, agreed in His mercy to be the charioteer,

the inner motivator for the duration of the Kurukshetra Battle. Arjuna was

caught in the coils of attachment just when duty called him to action. "My

limbs droop down; my tongue dries up. The bow slips from my hold; I am unable

to stand; my brain is in a swirl." He wept. Krishna rebuked him for being

overcome by weakness, unmanly. Arjuna's discrimination was overpowered by grief

and delusion, pride and ignorance, a sense of I and mine. Krishna removed the

veil and taught him the secret of successful living, the Yoga of surrender, of

non-attachment.

It is significant that Baba named the monthly magazine of Prashanthi Nilayam

"Sanathana Sarathi" meaning the "eternal charioteer." As Krishna came, Baba

also has come, to rid man of grief and delusion, pride and ignorance, and to

re-establish justice in the world. The word "Sarathi" is an assurance from Baba

that He will guide the seeker if only he takes the initial step of inviting Him

to take over the reins of his life. The word "Sanathana" is a reminder that

this has been the role of Baba since the dawn of creation.

Baba's writings are from His simply and directly spoken Telugu. When one reads

His articles, he can picture Baba speaking in His intimate and inspiring way.

With questions between His statements, He prods a reader or listener to think

for himself by injecting questions on the problems He unravels. By the use of

occasional endearments such as "Child", "My dear man", "My precious", "Dear

fellow", He draws Himself close to the seeker in order to instruct him in the

art of Godward pilgrimage.

Baba has written, "How dejected will the farmer be if the seeds he has sown do

not sprout, grow and yield a harvest! So too, if the seeds of the Words of

Truth that I sow, do not sprout in your hearts and grow into fine saplings and

trees yielding fruit, I am also not happy. That harvest of bliss is My

sustenance, My food. This is the only adoration I need. There is nothing higher

than this. By not casting away these good words and truth written for your sake,

if you put them into practice and experience joy therefrom, that joy is the food

on which I sustain Myself. If you thus act according to My words, and put them

into daily practice, I will gladly tell you more and more, for that is the

reason why I have come."

Baba has often said that He demonstrates His Divinity through miracles only to

instill the faith necessary for men to listen to Him and follow His suggestions

for their own spiritual realization. He declares that it is everyone's right to

know this message from Him. Thus anyone may approach Him without fear or

hesitation. His eagerness to remove all doubts lurking in the minds of the

people who seek guidance from Him, His readiness to grant them as many

interviews as necessary to discuss specific personal problems of the spiritual

pilgrimage, are evidence of His Grace and Mercy.

Revealed in "Sanathana Sarathi" are the power, wisdom, and grace of Baba. He

warns against neglecting the pennies in one's search for the dollars and

pounds, and cautions, "Be vigilant about the small things; the myriad little

things that you indulge in every moment harden into habits and warp character

and personality. They shape your intelligence, outlook, ideals, and

aspirations. Challenge your evil propensities even before they enslave you. If

you make a sincere effort, you will certainly succeed.

"If your faults are pointed out to you by anyone, do not argue and attempt to

prove he is mistaken, and do not develop a grudge against him for that. Reason

out within yourself, examine your own conduct coolly, and thankfully proceed to

correct yourself".

"When someone causes you mental pain, do not give room for anger; anger is enemy

number one of reason and discrimination. Repeat the Name of God for awhile

sitting in a lonely place, or sing hymns in a raised voice, or, if you cannot

do both, spread your bed and go to sleep".

"Your own experience is the best guarantee of truth for you. Do not be led by

what people tell of their experiences; nothing can be as genuine as your own".

"Develop courage, confidence, hope, and enthusiasm. These will stand you in good

stead in the secular as well as the spiritual fields".

"Man is everywhere immersed in worry and trouble; is it right to increase the

agony? Already the sea is rough; how can you have a mind to blow a typhoon over

it? Learn rather to spread a smile from face to face. Why make the sad world

sadder by your lamentation and the tales of your own woe? Adopt the course of

the recitation of the Name, of contemplation on the Form, to assuage your own

grief; overcome your own sorrow and be an example to the rest".

The elimination of harmful tendencies, impulses, and habits, and the building up

of character, are, however, only preliminary to the practice of spiritual

discipline. For more than a year His articles emphasized the contemplation of

the Form and its method of operation, which He calls "the planned routine".

In His words, "Perform contemplation until your mind comes firmly under your

control. When the mind starts running about, be careful; do not follow it into

its vagaries, seeking to discover it and punish it. Be still, do not pursue it.

Then it will return by itself when it is tired and exhausted, because you

neglect it. The mind is like a little child; when the mother walks behind it

and calls out its name and is showing an interest in its movements, the child

gets the confidence to wander about a little farther on; but if the mother

stands still, then reverses her steps, the child is seized with fright at this

sign of neglect and runs back to her arms. So, do not care for the vagaries of

the mind. Carry on the repeating of the Name and contemplation on the Form that

you like best, in the manner you

feel most conducive. You will realize your heart's desire".

Words of solace and encouragement such as these abound in the articles written

by Baba. As He says, "In former ages, one particular group of persons or one

individual who had the monopoly of the means of exploitation and enslavement,

and the power needed for them, was responsible for the decline of moral

behavior; hence it could be re-instilled by the destruction of that group or

individual. Now the wickedness is a universal feature, and I have to bring

about a revolution in human character, attitude, and behavior, and teach people

certain disciplines. People have to be put back on the road to unity, harmony

and peace. The realization that everything in the universe is the manifestation

of the Lord is the very basis, the entire content, the warp and the woof, the

yarn and the cloth of all. This is the

right of every person, whatever be his race, creed, class, or caste. You of this

generation are indeed lucky that you have the fortune of contact with Me and the

chance to receive the guidance I have come to give".

Baba writes strongly against teachers who compromise the ideal for the sake of

name and fame. One purpose of His advent is to lead them back into rectitude.

He condemns partisanship and faction in the sacred Name of God. He will not

admit that God can ever be angry or jealous.

Baba writes, "Do not believe descriptions of the Lord in which He is pictured as

greedy, businesslike, angry, jealous or vengeful. He is above all pettiness and

bargaining. When a stone hits a pot of nectar, it leaks, but does the nectar

turn bitter? No, it can never change its sweetness".

"When the all-pervasive, all-inclusive pure Existence is described, the matter

and method depend on the outlook of the speaker and the understanding of the

listener. When it is described through attributes, it gets various names and

forms. When the spiritual student realizes that it is beyond all attributes

which the mind can conceive, then it is referred to as Brahman". All quarrels

between sects is mere secular rivalry, indulged in for the vulgar pleasure it

gives to inferior minds, says Baba.

Baba has also pointed out that ascetics and monks deserve respect only if they

give up all desires, even the desire to develop their hermitages or

institutions. The bondage to such places becomes a burden for them. Instead of

giving up all ties, they have yoked themselves more tightly to the plough; they

have degraded themselves into beasts of burden. He says that people have lost

faith because of the activities of such men who continuously exert pressure on

society in order to earn name and fame. Religious leaders such as these, Baba

says, train many disciples; so they must make a special effort to help the

trainees acquire the right outlook and get fully immersed in contemplation of

the Lord. Baba has also pointed out the mistake of giving the teacher a status

higher than that, which is due him. The

teacher should be respected as the person who shows one the path, who looks

after his progress and is interested in his welfare, that is all. The student

should not assume that the teacher is all-inclusive and all-powerful. The Lord

alone can be treated and felt as the Universal.

Baba always emphasizes moderation. He does not advocate asceticism for all. He

speaks of the body as a God-given instrument, and says, "Understand it well;

make it obey your will; never bow down to it and follow its whimsical demands;

train it carefully to subserve your welfare. Be on the lookout for the first

signs of damage or decay. Keep it in good trim by disciplined activities.

Moderate food, moderate sleep, an attitude of love toward all, an outlook of

fortitude in the face of pain and anxiety and in the face of success and good

fortune - these are more important than drugs to cure the illness of the body.

Even a capacity to discriminate, if applied to one's physical condition, will

help him overcome disease".

Baba writes often against starving the body advocated by over-enthusiastic

practitioners and against foolish epicures who cater to the tongue that demands

seasoned food or a want on variety of dishes.

Baba calls the householder's life that of "the teacher", for it is also through

the toils and turmoil of the family that people acquire the urge for the higher

life of the Spirit. He says that without family troubles, many would not have

come to Him at all. After once meeting and knowing Him, they cling to the

Godhead whether their troubles are set right or not. They gradually begin to

feel that such troubles should not be given the importance they ascribed to

them; they face them with greater courage, confidence, and understanding. He

has written that the sugar cane should welcome the cutting, the hacking, and

the crushing to which it is subjected, because without these processes, its

juice will dry up and it will not sweeten the tongue. Man must welcome trouble,

for that too brings out the sweetness

of the Spirit within. He says, "You desire an ornament and you go to the

goldsmith and give him the required quantity of gold. But do you spend

sleepless nights pining for the heating and beating, the tugging and the

pulling, the cutting and the carving to which the goldsmith subjects your gold?

Why then do you worry when the Lord, in order to make a lovely jewel out of you,

heats and melts, cuts and carves, and removes your dross in the crucible of

suffering"?

Baba is the Great Healer, the Restorer of drooping spirits, the Unique Reviver.

He insists on truth, because falsehood has cowardice as its root. One hides the

facts from a person only when he is afraid of him or hates him. Truth is based

on strength. It is, according to Baba, against the essential nature of man to

plead weakness or want of strength. He does not permit people to say, "I am

sin, born of sin, a sinful soul". When a devotee with contrition masses abuse

on himself, Baba immediately lifts him. "When I have come for your sake, you

should not feel this way", He says.

Baba equates strength with merit and weakness with sin; that is, weakness is

sin; strength is holy. Physical, mental and spiritual strength are all three

essential, but the greatest source of all three is faith in one's self, in the

soul within. Baba says, "Remember that and draw strength there from. My mission

is to give you confidence in yourself, to give you the strength and endurance

that comes out of that. Despondency is the prime cause of decline; therefore

everyone should cultivate the quality of joyfulness. For the contented, life is

one long festival. Envy eats the vitals, spreads like poison all over the body

politic. Dedicate all, both joy and sorrow, to the Lord; that is the secret of

gaining contentment, the most valuable of all treasures.

Baba instills the spirit of service among His devotees, and during Dasara, a day

generally devoted to social service, He teaches the attitude of worship in which

one should render service. He writes and speaks of the service to others as

service ultimately to one's self, and injury to others as injury ultimately to

one's self. In His words, "When the Lord comes down in human form so that He

may be of service to man, how happy will He be if man engages himself in that

service? Devote your time to the service of the world, irrespective of the

results thereof".

Baba is very particular about the vision which must inspire the devotee who

takes up the path of service: "Though the service of humanity is holy, unless

it is merged in the higher ideal of the Lord, realizing the Lord immanent in

all, adoring the Lord in the form of everyone, there is no profit at all. One

should have full faith in the divinity of man and service should be offered in

the uninterrupted contemplation of the Lord. Use the power, knowledge and

attainments the Lord has endowed you with for the greater glory of the Lord,

with sincerity and without any malingering. That is the service of the Lord,

whatever be the field of activity or the region of duty where you are called

upon to render service".

Very often Baba devotes an entire discourse to the elucidation of the need for

inquiry of blind, unreasoning faith. He might begin: "You can ask Me a question

without hesitation. I am always ready to answer, but I want only those people to

ask who inquire earnestly with a desire to know. Without analysis and reasoning,

the real worth of things cannot be grasped, and renunciation will not be

possible at all. Sometimes you will have to inquire even into the process of

your inquiry, for you might all the time be deceiving yourselves by arguing

that your actions are all moral and pure, when an unprejudiced mind might

condemn them out right".

As Lord Krishna did, He also tells people. "Think of all the pros and cons;

think also of your own experience; then come to your own judgment. Do not be

led away by what others might say, by what even I might say!

"At the gates of heaven there are three sentinels who will admit you inside,

only if you satisfy them of the validity of your credentials which are

contentment, peace and reflection. Even if one of the guards is satisfied, the

others will not be very strict. So cultivate any of the three. Basically, they

are all interrelated". (Inquiry brought into the realm of experience results in

peace -undisturbed contentment or bliss.) "Ask Me about some discipline that you

are eager to engage in or some message that you can put into immediate action.

Seek something worth your while". That is what Baba demands.

There is a sense of urgency in His commands: "The time to start on the path of

discipline is now. Start today the discipline that will have to be done

tomorrow. Start now the discipline that has to be done today. Just as a child

has to start the alphabet at a tender age, so that it may be proficient in arts

and science when it later enters, so too, the spiritual child must start on the

"alphabet" immediately and keep on with the studies; no one can cope with the

alphabet in old age or on the deathbed. Every second, the span of life is being

shortened; the moment that has gone is no longer yours; the moment that is

coming may not be yours at all; so put all your efforts now, this very moment,

to earn eternal joy".

Among the means to earn this eternal joy, Baba places the recollection of the

Name, its repetition, first, though He speaks and writes also of the three

traditional Yogas and the three traditional philosophical systems. Baba has

come to end all factions and He emphasizes the harmony of these systems when He

exhorts, "I won't say that the way of dedicated activity, the way of devotion,

and the way of knowledge are separate, or classify them as first, second, or

third in that order, or accept even a mixture of all three. Dedicated activity

is devotion; devotion is wisdom. A block of candy-sugar has sweetness, shape,

and weight, all three. So too, each individual deed of the Godward man must

have the sweetness of devotion, the spirit of dedicated action, and the

strength of wisdom.

"Wisdom is the product of devotion, and devotion is promoted by the noblest

dedicated activity, being recollection and reflection of the Name of God. The

Lord can give the knowledge about Himself to a devotee. He can remove the veil

He Himself has cast".

"A thing and its nature are the same, not two distinct things. Is it possible to

see the nature apart from the thing - sweetness apart from sugar, light apart

from the sun? So also, Bhagawan has two characteristics. When we speak of them

as two, they are known as Spirit and Substance, but they are really one.

Substance in Bhagawan is unmanifested, inseparable, and knowable only by

experience, like sweetness in sugar. By mere willing, this Substance envelops

Bhagawan and the cosmos is the result. That one Existence is the basis or

foundation for both the Universal and the Particular, the totality as well as

the apparent parts. This manifested total cosmos or Fullness arose out of the

Unmanifested Indivisible Reality, yet there is no diminution".

Baba unravels the most involved philosophical problems in easily understandable

ways. The listener sees the solution in a flash of illumination explained by a

simile, metaphor, parable, or epigram summarizing the elaboration of an hour.

In short, His advent is for everyone, for forging all into disciplined seekers.

As He says, "The world can achieve prosperity and peace only through such

persons whose hearts are pure and whose minds are free of prejudice and

passion, lust and greed, anger and envy".

FOR YOU AND ME

And so we have come to the last chapter of this book, dear reader. I hope you

have become more interested in the pilgrimage which everyone has perforce to

undertake to the seat of God.

Baba has assured us that He will remain in the human frame beyond the year 2020.

He says that He has not yet started the work for which He has come which is

still in the preliminary stage of reconnaissance. When He starts His campaign,

He says the whole world will know of it and benefit from it. Therefore

subsequent events in the life of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba are certain to be

even more inspiring and elevating.

The Golden Age of Human Redemption is here. The splendor of its dawn has already

filled the clouds on the eastern horizon with golden glory and will circle the

entire world. Mankind is awakening. "I came", Baba says, "because the good men

of the world, the saintly, the wise, the sage and the seeker, the guides and

the Godly longed for Me".

May the pure and the righteous rejoice! The wicked and the false, the cowardly

and cruel may also rejoice, for He in His Mercy will lead them back onto the

holy path. Baba has asked, "If I close the door against the sinful, the fallen

and the renegade, where else can they go?"

You and I have no excuse now to be content with only maps and guide books, to

consult the case histories of invalids who cured themselves, or pour over tomes

that confound the brain.

He has come - the Healer, as loving as the Mother, as strong as the Father, as

wise as the Master, as All seeing as God. May He, the Source, the Stream and

the Sea, the All-pervasive, All-inclusive, All-animating, give to us all the

strength and the steadfastness to journey toward Him.

What does He ask for us? To start this very moment the discipline needed for the

good life. With what offering shall we approach Him? Not with the leaf, flower,

fruit, and water, the customary offerings. Instead offer Him truth,

righteousness, peace and love - or at least the effort to attain these four or

any one of the four - and sincerity in the struggle to improve.

Baba enjoins, "Offer on the leaf of the body the blossom of the mind, fragrant

with humility, the fruit of the heart, ripe with spiritual austerity, and sweet

with the essence of compassion, mercy, and self-control, and the water of tears

welling out of joyful bliss. That is enough".

PART – I CONCLUDED

NEXT - PART – II CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

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