SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM [57]

[Guest guest]

Om Sri Sai Ram

Ganesha Mantra: AUM Gung Ganapathaye Namah

Ganesh Gayatri

Tat purushaaya vidmahe

Vakratundaaya dheemahi

Tanno dhanti prachodayaat

SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM

The Life Stories of the Two Avatars of the Age – [57]

KHAPARDE DIARY

16th February 1912

I attended the Kakad Aarathi. Sayin Saheb exhibited great grace accompanied by

hard words. We held our Panchadashi class in the morning after prayer. My wife

and others could not go to Kopargaon as they could not get a cart. We saw Sayin

Baba go out. Mr. Marganokar has come and distributed a translation of Para

Pooja. There is a Shastri from Kalayan Bhivandi. He is staying with Bapusahib

Jog and is a very quit nice man. We fasted today on account of Shivarathri.

17th February 1912

I got up early in the morning, prayed and held our Panchadashi class with

Upasani, Bapusaheb Jog, Kunte Shstri of Kalyan, and Morgaonkar. We finished the

third Chapter today. We saw Sayin Baba go out and again after returned. He was

in a very pleasant mood and made jokes. The midday Arti passed off as usual and

after it we had our food. Mr. Dixit is thinking of going to Nagpur for the Munj

of his son. He wishes to take with him as many from here as he can, but

everything depends on the orders which Sayin Saheb gives. In the afternoon

there was Dixit's Ramayan and then we held our Paramarit class and made good

progress. Later on we saw Sayin Maharaj at his stroll. Then there was the Wada

Aarathi and Shej Aarathi. At the latter the big fan came to me. On our return

Kunte Sahstri of Bhivandi did kirtan. He told the story of Uttar Gograhana. He

is an old man and considering his age which is 80 years his powers of

endurance, his energy and all else is very praiseworthy and remarkable. Mr.

Dixit had his Ramayan and Bhishma read Bhagwat.

18th February 1912

Madhavrao Deshpande woke me up in the morning and after prayer attended the

Kakad Aarathi. Sai Saheb took it very coolly and hard words said as usual after

it was of a very mild character. Mr. Dixit is thinking of going to Nagpur for

the thread ceremony of his son. He asked Sai Baba to let me goo with him and

got an evasive reply. I feel almost sure that I shall not be permitted to go.

My wife is very anxious to go. While I was in our Panchadasi class with Upasani

Shastri, Bapusaheb Jog and others, Mr. Nana Saheb Chadorkar came and sat with

Mr. Dixit. I met him when I went

to see Sai Saheb after our class. Sai Saheb was talking with him in the usual

way, about Teli, Waman Tatya, Appa Kotya etc., etc. The midday Aarti passed off

as usual except that towards the end of it Sayin Baba got a bit impatient and

told the people to clear out fast. I had my food with Mr. Dixit in company of

Nana Saheb Chandorkar and I asked the latter to resume his conversation with be

which was broken off when he was here on a short visit. He said the matter was

in the hands of Sai Baba. He has brought with him artificial garden with a big

moon such as we have on marriage ceremonies. Radhakrishna Bai ordered it. I lay

down for a while. Then Nanasaheb went away about

normal">4 p.m. and Mr. Dixit read Ramayana. Later on we held our Paramamrit

class and afterwards went to see Sai Saheb at his evening stroll. The "moon"

was lit and shed very splendid light. My wife renewed her request about

returning to Amravati and was as usual given an evasive reply by Sai Saheb.

After the Wada Aarathi Mr. Dixit read Ramayana and Bhishma had his Bhajan. We

finished early to admit of Mr. Dixit and Madhavrao Deshpande making

preparations to depart tomorrow early in the morning.

19th February 1912

Mr. Dixit, his wife, Madhavrao Deshpande, Hiralal and others went away this

morning. The Dixits went to Nagpur for the moonj of his son Babu. Madhaorao

went to Harda for a similar ceremony in a friend's house. After prayer we held

our Panchdashi class. Morgaonkar said that he lost his watch and chain. They

were both valuable being of gold. They were searched for in vain. We saw Sai go

out and again after he returned. The

10pt">midday Aarathi passed off as usual except the there was two Chamars

instead of only one. Balasaheb Bhate worshipped and wished to stay for the

Aarathi, but Sai Saheb ordered him home. After food I lay down for a while and

then we continued our Panchadashi class with our usual members. Later on Dada

Kelkar, Bala Simpi and others came. We saw Sai Maharaj at his evening stroll

and after the Wada Aarathi attended the Shej-Aarathi when the artificial

gardens and moon were used for the first time. They looked very nice and

attracted a large crowd. Sai Saheb did not appear to dislike them. I think the

moon is helpful. Bhishma read Bhagwat and ten Samasas of Dada Bodh tonight. Mr.

Natekar alias Hamsa writes to me today to say that I ought to return to

10pt">Amravati by the end of this month.

20th February 1912

We attended the Kakad Aarathi and the remarkable part of it was that Sai Saheb

left the Chawadi and entered the Masjid without saying a single word except

"God is the greatest, of all." After prayer Upasani Bapusaheb Jog Bhishma Mrs.

Laximibai Kaujalgi and I held our Panchdashi class. When I went to the Masjid

after Sai Saheb returned from his morning walk, he said he wished to get the

Masjid rebuilt. He said there was enough money for it and went on talking about

it. Some Baroda ladies of the Shirke family have come here. They attended the

midday Aarathi. It passed off as usual. Radhakrishnabai had the eggs of stork

hung up where Sai Saheb sits and he had them pulled down and thrown away. We

continued our Panchadashi class in the afternoon and I went to the Masjid about

6 P.m. Sai Saheb told two stories of which, do what I like, I cannot recall the

first. I asked my wife and all those present and they also forgot which is

wonderful. The other story was that there was an old woman living with her son.

He used to assist in the disposal of the dead body of every body in the village

and got remuneration for it. There prevailed a sort of plague and many died. So

his emoluments were great. Allah met her one-day and told her not to profit by

the trade of her son. She spoke about it to her son but the latter paid no

attention and

eventually died. The old woman then maintained her self by spinning cotton.

Allah told her to go to the house and broke into it at night. One of the

burglars stood naked before her. She told him to run away as the town people

would murder him for his crime. So the man ran away. Eventually the old woman

died and was born as the daughter of the burglar. I am not quite sure that I

understand the story quite right. We saw Sai Saheb at his evening stroll and at

night. After the Wada Aarathi, Bhishma read Bhagwat and Dixit Dasa Bodha.

21st February 1912

I got up as usual but my prayer was disturbed by the noise, which Devaji whom we

call Sakshatkaribua made. I managed to control my mind and finished my prayers.

Later we saw Sai Maharaj go out and held our Panchdashi class. After it I went

to the Masjid and saw Sai Baba being served by Baroda ladies of the Shirke

family. A Dancing woman of Bombay

10pt"> arrived today and sang in few songs in the Masjid. She says she is a

pupil of Balkrishnabuwa. Sai Baba heard her songs. Then the midday Aarathi

passed off as usual. Sai Baba was in a very good mood. After midday meal I lay

down for a while and then continued our Panchadashi class with our usual

members. About sunset I went to see Sai Baba his evening stroll and again after

Wada Aarathi for the Shej-Aarathi. The processions and other arrangements were

very grand today. The Bhajan was with cymbals and all. The

Bombay dancing girl gave a few songs in the Masjid also after the Shej-Aarathi.

At night Bhishma read Bhagwat and Das-bodh.

22nd February 1912

This morning there was Kakad Aarathi and we all attended it. The ladies of the

Shirke family went away soon after the Aarathi with their attendants. The

Bombay dancing girl also went away with her men. She said she wished to go to

Amravati. We held our Panchadashi class. After it I learnt that my wife had a

dream this morning today before

9 a.m. Sai Baba also asked Dada Kelkar and Bala Simpi whether I was talking of

going away. There is note from Natekar (Hansa) that I would be permitted to

return to Amravati about the end of this month. All this raised the hopes of my

wife, but at the midday Aarathi time there was no mention of the matter

made by Sai Baba. Madhavrao Deshpande returned in time for the midday Aarathi

time; there was no mention of the matter made by Sai Baba. Madhavrao Deshpande

returned in time for the midday Aarathi from Harda. His wife and children also

came from Ahmednagar. After the midday meal I lay down for a while and

then continued our Panchadashi class till nearly nightfall when I hastened to

the Masjid, saw Sai Saheb and took Udi. At night Bhishma read Dasbodh and

Bhagwat and had Bhajan. Mr. Bhate, Mr. Bapusaheb Abkari Inspector and some

children of the latter came to see me at night and we sat talking for some time

on the usual subjects of the wonders daily worked by Sai Baba, Madhavrao

Deshpande was also present then.

23rd February 1912

I got up as usual, prayed and in the morning held the Panchadashi class. Besides

our usual members a lady from Nasik by name Mrs. Sundarabai was present. We saw

Sai Baba go out and again at the Masjid after he returned to the Masjid. He

told me a story, how, when he was young, he went out one morning and suddenly

became a girl and continued to be so for some time. He did not give many

details. The midday Aarathi passed off as usual. Many people came to worship

today. After the midday meal I lay down for a while and then continued our

Panchadashi class. Madhavrao asked Sai Baba today about my return and got a

reply to the effect that time being very unfavorable to me I would have to

remain here a few months more. In the evening we went to see Sai Baba. at the

evening stroll and then after the Wada Aarti. Here was Shej-Aarathi and later

on Bhishma read Bhagwat and Dasa Bodha.

24th February 1912

I attended the Kakad Aarathi and then held our Panchadashi class. We saw Sai

Maharaj go out and later on attended the Masjid for the midday Aarathi,

everything went off very much as usual and after the midday meal I lay down for

a while. Mr. Sane Mamledar of Kopargaon and Mr. Nanasaheb Behare Revenue

Inspector came with Balasaheb Bhate and sat talking for some time. After they

went away we continued our Panchadashi class but the progress was very slow. We

saw Sai Baba at this evening stroll and in the evening the Nasik ladies assisted

in the Bhajan after the Wada Aarathi.

They have good voices but they appear to be very weak and can make no sustained effort.

25th February 1912

I got up early, prayed and saw Mr. Madhavrao Deshpande leave Shirdi for Nagpur.

>From there he will go to Gwalior for the wedding of Nanasaheb Chandorkar's son

and will return by stages, seeing Banares,

10pt">Allahabad, Mathura and other holy places on the way. We held our

Panchadashi class but Upasani was feeling unwell so our progress was slow. We

attended the midday Aarathi and after the midday

FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> meal resumed our Panchadashi class and made some progress. In

the evening and after it Bhishma read Dasabodha.

26th February 1912

I attended Kakad Aarathi. Sai Baba went to the Masjid without saying much. The

Nasik ladies went away this morning. Then we held our class and saw Sai Baba go

out again after he returned to the Masjid. He told a story about a brother

having misbehaved once and being outcaste in consequence. Sai Baba looked after

him and eventually had him re-admitted to the caste. The midday Aarathi passed

off as usual and after the midday meal I lay down for a while and then we

continued our Panchadashi class. One Mr. Datar has come from Puna with his son

who appears to be a pleader. They are staying in the hall. We attended the

Masjid to see Sai Saheb at the stroll. After the Wada Aarathi there was Bhagwat

and Dasabodha and Bhajan in which Mrs. Kaujalagis and son assisted.

27th February 1912

I got up as usual prayed and held our Panchadashi class. For once we missed Sai

Baba going out and were not able to see him till he was on his way back. When

we went to the Masjid at about 11 a.m. Sai Baba said that he walked through a

field in which there were very big parrots. The parrots were scared away by his

presence and he stood long admiring their sizes and colour. The midday Aarathi

passed off as usual and after meal I lay down a while and then resumed our

Panchadashi class till nearly nightfall when we went to Sai Maharaj at his

evening stroll. At night there was the Wada Aarathi and then the Shej-Aarathi.

Bhishma read Dasabodha and Bhagwat.

28th February 1912

I attended the Kakad Aarathi and was on my return praying when Dhondobaba

arrived from Pune. He returned recently from Burma and I sat talking with him

about the health of my friend Tilak and the state of his mind. It is as good as

it can be under the circumstances. He wishes me to return to the practice at the

bar, but that depends upon what Sai Saheb says. We held our Panchadshi class and

Mr. Balasaheb Bhate attended it. We saw Sai Saheb go out and later on I went to

the Musjid after he returned. He asked me if Jivamuni would pay. I could not

make out

what jivamuni meant but replied that Jivamuni would if ordered. He Sai Jivamuni

would not. He gave me a lot of fruits and sweets. The midday Aarathi passed

off.

Today was Ekadasi and nobody except myself and Raghunath had a breakfast or the

midday meal. Dhondobaba fasted. He returned to Pune at about 4 p.m. with Bhau,

son of Dada Kelkar. We then continued our Panchadashi class and in the evening

went to see Sai Maharaj at his stroll. He was in a very pleased mood; walked

light, made jokes and so on. At the

Wada Bhishma read Bhagawat and Dasabodha.

29th February 1912

I prayed in the morning and held our usual Panchadashi class. While we were at

it Sai Baba passed through and we saw him near the Sathe Wada. He appeared very

much tired. I saw him again after he returned and he appeared to be in a very

placid mood. He said that Balasaheb Bhate was a "Kharti, that his wife was a

"Salin" i.e., weaver, and that his son Baba was also a Sali. Sai Baba said

further that Wasudeokaka was a Rajput in hi former birth and bore the name of

Jaising; that he was fond of meat and that Sai Saheb and others used to make

him very angry by asking him if he wanted the head of a goat, that Jaising had

three sons who served in the army and a daughter who turned out bad, became the

keep of a barber, bore children by him and died there. The

10pt">midday Aarathi passed off as usual except that Wamantatya who came after

it and wished to worship got good harvest of hard words. After the midday meal

I lay down for a while and then we continued our Panchadashi class till evening

when we went to see Sai Saheb at his stroll. After the Wada Aarathi I went to

the Masjid to attend the procession to Chavadi and the Shej-Aarathi there. Sai

Saheb exhibited an angry mood, abused those that had gone on to the roof of the

Masjid for lighting lamps and at the time when the procession started he threw

his stick at Mrs. Tai Jog the wife of Bapusaheb. At the Chawadi I thought he

would beat Bapusaheb. At the Chawadi I thought he would beat Bapusaheb Jog for

he approached the latter, held his hands and demanded why Aarathi was done; but

after a while he beat Bala Shimpi with his stick and later on Trimbakrao whom we

call Maruti. Bala Shimpi ran away but Trimbakrao received the blow standing and

prostrating before Sai Maharaj. I think he received the full measure of favour

and got ahead by at least a stage. Sai Saheb was talking loudly when we

returned. I sat talking with Balasaheb bhate. Bhishma read Bhagawat and

Dasabodha.

BOW TO SHRI SAI - PEACE BE TO ALL

*****

SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM - PART IV

The Life of the Divine Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba - [1973-1979]

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

SINCE COMING BACK

In April 1972, Elsie and Walter Cowan returned from India to California. To a

Sai group Elsie announced, "We have come back from India, my husband and I,

brimful of the most astounding news that can happen to anyone. It is so

fantastic that many of you may doubt it, because hardly any of us can imagine

the great importance and the tremendous power of this great, high god, who not

only walks the earth, but cares for all the planes from earth to eternity.

Walter died at Madras; Sai Baba resurrected him!" A few months later, Walter

Cowan wrote to me, "I am really feeling fine. Would you believe that I have

gained about thirty pounds since 'coming back'?" Inscrutable, but true.

EXAMINER AND EXAMINEE

Here is another story from Mexico: "A dozen families live on our hill in Mexico

which slopes down to the Pacific Ocean, about 300 feet below. Most of the

people are retired Americans. There are one or two Mexican families also. The

hill itself is not of solid rock, but is sedimentary ocean-floor uplift,

comprising a mass of sand, boulders, clay, seashells, etc. A recent vertical

cut for a new highway weakened the hill. In September 1976, it started sliding

towards the ocean. Before long, two houses had fallen and other houses broke

into half. The authorities ordered all remaining houses to be evacuated,

because government geologists had declared that all the houses would be

destroyed by the earth movement. At this critical juncture I was scheduled to

leave on a tour of Sathya Sai Baba centers. We prayed to Baba to save the

houses of our small community.

"Throughout the tour I remained anxious about this occurrence, but on my return

was relieved to find all the remaining houses intact as before. The geologists

were measuring the hill each day and were unable to discover why part of the

hill was stationary and had not moved even a fraction of an inch. Of course,

they did not know about the prayer nor that we had affixed a picture of

Bhagawan to a window directly facing the ocean side."

John Hislop, who wrote me this letter, has published a book entitled,

'Conversations with Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba'. Baba tells Hislop, “It is

perfectly all right to ask all these questions and clear all your doubts. You

are examining Swami and Swami is giving the answers. But when all this is

finished and the next time you come around, Swami will be the examiner and you

will have to be ready with the right answers in your mind and heart."

"Before going to Sai Baba, I told Indra Devi that everything but the miracles I

can accept," writes Richard Bock. "Those bothered me because I had read the

Ramakrishna Kathamrita, which says that you have to be aware of Siddhis

(ascetically acquired powers), for they can lead you astray. So I felt that

showing off this power was somehow egotistical and was not the highest level of

expression. Therefore, I had doubts as to His motives in displaying them. But

when I got closer and began to experience them, I realised that they were so

natural to Him, and the reason behind them so sound, that I could see He was

coming from a different space. He was not becoming something - that He already

was - so there was nothing that could spoil Him... For a Westerner, it usually

takes something to blow his mind off

the material world that he is entrapped in and the idea that everything can be

figured out scientifically. So Baba creates something out of time, breaking

what usually look like scientific natural laws, and creates a so-called

miracle.

"The thing that blew my mind was what happened when Indra Devi asked Him if she

could have some more of the 'healing ash', because she had given away all of

her first supply to people. He said 'yes' and, as I was watching, he moved His

hand in a circle and then held up both hands, as if to receive something. Then

an urn, about four inches high, appeared in mid-air and plopped into His hands.

I saw this and said, 'That's not sleight of hand, that's not up His sleeve,

that's something else.' He took off the top and spilled all the ash onto a

piece of paper. Then He poured again, and another urnful of ash poured out, so

that in total He had poured out double the amount of ash that the urn could

possibly hold. Next, He put half of it back in the urn and distributed some to

the people near by. What was left

He put in a little handkerchief bag and gave it to Indra. He touched it and

said, 'Now this will be an inexhaustible supply and you won't run out of it.'

Well, she has had it for ten years now and it is still flowing. And she has

given it to thousands of people. After that experience with Baba, whether or

not God exists is no longer a question in my mind." This is what Richard Bock

related to an interviewer from the Movement, in September 1979.

Baba is so compassionate that He designs a new strategy for every individual He

decides to reform or transform. At one and the same time, in all parts of the

world, increasing numbers of people experience His grace by means of an 'inner

voice' or intuition, during silent spells or amidst the clank of crowds, or

through His direct manifestation in physical form - conveying warnings,

revitalizing faith and clearing doubts. A telegram which in fact was never

transmitted, a letter which was never posted or a phone call which was never

dialed, can reveal His affection and awaken, assure or advise a person

struggling in the dark, ultimately revealing the hand of God beckoning him to

Prashanthi Nilayam.

WORDS WITH WINGS

SANATHANA SARATHI

On Shivarathri day in 1958 was inaugurated the monthly magazine designed to

communicate the message of Bhagawan to the world. He named it Sanathana

Sarathi. These two words taken together spell the function that Baba has taken

upon Himself. Sanathana denotes His being the very source of all this

'becoming'. In a written message to Shri. R.R. Chatterji of the Sathya Sai Seva

Samithi, Calcutta, announcing the mission for which He has assumed this human

form, Baba made a declaration which nobody since the days of Lord Krishna had

the good fortune to listen to: "There was no one to know who I

am till I created the world, at My pleasure, with one word. Immediately earth

and sky were formed, mountains rose up, rivers started flowing, sun, moon and

stars sprang out of nowhere to prove My existence. Came all forms of life -

plants, insects, beasts, birds and men. Various powers were bestowed upon them

under My orders. The first place was granted to man, and My knowledge was

placed in man's mind."

Sanathana means 'timeless, eternal'. Baba has said that He always was, is, and

ever will be. He is Sanathana, now limited in time and space, so that He can be

availed of by us. The Upanishads speak of embodied beings as chariots, which are

drawn along by the senses (horses) through the objective world. Safety lies in

choosing a knowledgeable Sarathi (charioteer) and installing him with unimpeded

authority in the chariot. By taking upon Himself the role of the Sanathana

Sarathi, Baba has revealed that He is the eternal Inner Motivator in

all-recognised or unrecognised, acknowledged or ignored, respected or

slandered. "My knowledge was placed in man's mind," He says. But the mind

allows itself to be covered by veils, so that pure knowledge becomes warped or

is

denied.

The first issue of the magazine contained a message from Baba wherein He spoke

of the high purpose which it had set out to fulfill: "From this day, our

Sanathana Sarathi will lead to victory the cohorts of truth - the Vedas, the

Sasthras and similar scriptures of all faiths - against the forces of the ego

such as injustice, falsehood, immorality and cruelty. This is the reason why it

has emerged. This Sarathi will fight in order to establish world prosperity. It

is bound to sound the paean of triumph when universal Ananda is achieved."

PROEMS

Baba is ever conscious that He is the Cosmic Principle that has transformed

Itself into human form. He is the Goal, the Guide and the Guardian whom every

being seeks. He gives expression to this truth in His discourses and writings.

As a proem to His discourses He sometimes sings, in either Telugu or Sanskrit,

a short verse, which lifts the veil of mystery hiding him from our eyes, and in

a flash, makes us aware of some facet of His plan to rehabilitate man. He

declared, "The same Vishnu who rewarded Dhruva with material and spiritual

glory and saved Prahlada from the cruelty of those who sought, through torture,

to break his faith in the Lord, that same Gopala who showered grace on the

impoverished and famished Kuchela, is here now, the embodiment of Wisdom and

Bliss, the ruler enthroned in the hearts

of good men, the compassionate monitor of all those who stray away from the right path."

On one occasion He sang another poem, which had spontaneously blossomed, on His

lips: "Why does the sun rise and set everyday without delay or disruption? Why

do the stars that light the sky to the delight of all eyes, hide their

splendorous faces when the day dawns, and never even slyly peer to tell us

where they are? Why does air always be around, giving us the breath of life?

Why do these streams and rivers roar, murmur, gurgle and gossip over rock,

pebble and sand, as they meander along towards the parent sea? How is it that

the billions that constitute mankind, though they are caskets treasuring images

of the same Entity, remain distinct from each other in appearance, achievement,

aspiration and attitude? This is the answer: Know that I am the One who has

ordained that these be such and shall

behave so."

THE FIVE ELEMENTAL ASPECTS

The Upanishads declare the tests to decide the genuineness of Bhagawan’s

incarnation thus: "For fear of Him, fire burns; for fear of Him, wind blows.

Indra, the mighty god of gods, also stands in awe of Him. Death hastens towards

or flees away, as He directs."

When a greedy forest fire advanced towards Chuchuma Ranch on the U.S.-Mexico

border, where stood the Sai Yoga Institute of Indra Devi, her prayer to Baba

turned the fire back by a sudden twist of wind when the flames had reached

within yards of the ranch. Shri K.A. Raja, Lt. Governor of Arunachal Pradesh,

writes that a huge bamboo cluster within yards of his official residence at

Tezpur caught fire and was exploding merrily immediately adjacent to the

thatched huts of some Nepalese workmen. Mrs. Raja hastened to the scene and

called aloud to Baba to soften the fury of the flames. The letter relates, "The

fire extinguished itself in a few seconds; not even a dozen fire engines could

have done that job." Similarly, Baba has many a time prevented rain by a mere

gesture or oral command, when it had

threatened to drench the thousands gathered to have His Darshan and listen to His discourse.

The president of a coach factory near Madras had made a commitment to deliver

about 25 coaches as the first instalment of an agreement between the Government

of India and the government of an overseas state - a prestigious assignment that

was secured in spite of overwhelming competition from countries in the front

line of industrialized nations. But troubles dogged him at every step. He was

very unhappy that he would not be able to load the coaches onto a Japanese ship

that had already left Bombay for

normal">Madras to take the cargo on board. He prayed to Baba to save the

reputation of his factory. Baba said, "The ship will be delayed; hurry on with

your work." The ship faced a fierce storm off Cochin and had to undergo some

repairs at Colombo. When it finally did reach Madras, the port was too full to

allow it into the docks. When, at last, it was ready to receive the coaches,

they were waiting, spick and span, to be carried overseas. Bhagawan can

initiate or pacify storms when He wills. He welcomes into the realm of death

those who clamor for release, and brings back from the gullet of death those

who were gobbled while they had yet to play the role He had in mind for them.

The words emanating from Him are, therefore, divine commands, which can charge

us with an immense potency and purity and change us into reservoirs of love and

light.

COME AGAIN

On another occasion, preliminary to the hoisting of the Prashanthi flag at the

Nilayam, the following poem was sung by Baba: "The Cowherd Boy, the son of

Nanda, has come again among you, embodied as Ananda, so that He may collect His

playmates. The same Rama has come again, with a great deal of Aaraam (leisure),

since now there is no burden of imperium, no dynastic responsibility; He has

come again to give his erstwhile followers the chance of service. The same Sai

has come to you from Shirdi to be in the midst of his erstwhile companions and

comrades. Once again, the same all-comprehensive, omnipresent Principle named

Vishnu has come in this comprehensible, cognisable human form, so that you may

benefit from Him. He has come without His instruments and weapons, for He has

willed to forge them here

itself." Baba has herein asserted that He is the self-determined human

expression of that Super Intelligence, that Absolute Will. He says, "For you,

birth is an anxious moment; childhood is fraught with anxiety; living is a

series of anxious moments; livelihood is earned through a chain of anxious

events; old age and death cause dire anxiety; even joy brings about the anxiety

that you might lose it soon; all activity is saturated with anxiety. But barter

all this anxiety for only one anxiety - how to win the grace of Sai - and you

will be free from the big brood of worry and unrest." His prologue-verses often

deal with devotees, telling them how steady faith, alone, can earn eternal

peace: "Compassion in the eyes; sweet words on the tongue; nectarous gleam on a

smiling face; joy ever residing in the heart; reassurance in every gesture of

the hands - that is Sai. Do not lose hold and give up the Savior who has come

to you."

HOLD FAST

Ponder over the significance of this verse He sang years ago: "Something you

have held, while seeking to hold something, hold on to it most firmly.

Something you did ask for, though asking is not needed; persist till the gift

is granted. Some desire you have entertained in your mind, though there is no

need to desire; still, knock at the door until it opens and your desire is

fulfilled. Either I must grant you the thing that you crave for, unable to

withstand your yearning; or you must realise its very absurdity and conquer

that worthless yearning." True to the declaration He made at the First World

Conference that He is all names and forms by which man has ever tired to

describe God, the annunciatory verse He sings on days dedicated to Rama,

Krishna or Siva would often be about the identity between

Him and the Deity that is being adored. On a Shivarathri day a few years ago, He

proclaimed, while standing before a festive gathering of twenty-five thousand

people, "This day Siva has come into the view of mortals - Siva, dwelling in

the village of Parthi. He carries on Him matted hair, the Ganges flowing from

it, the eye in the centre of the brow, the dark-complexioned throat, the

serpent wristlets, and tiger-skin around the waist, the red dot on the forehead

and the pan (betel) - produced redness on the

lips."

When He led a party of about a hundred and fifty devotees to the famous

Himalayan shrine of Narayana, He addressed them at Hardwar before starting on

the mountain trek, saying, "Yours is a unique chance: going to Narayana with

Narayana."

THE UNSEEN FORCE

Once Baba sang a verse in which He declared that He is the Unseen Force that

regulates the movements of celestial bodies and all forms of life, and designs

the destinies of each of us. This was when He inaugurated the All India

Conference of Sai Organisations held at Madras. If the Will is all-powerful and

eternal, it can,

of course, come down and move as a man among men. At another time He said,

"There are three types of men: those who seek happiness for themselves first,

with no attention paid to others; those who consider others first and thereby

derive happiness; and those who will try to prevent others from being happy

even at the cost of their own happiness." To a group of Americans He once gave

a message that was different in emphasis. "You are the smiling flower," He

wrote, "you are the twinkling star. What is there on the earth and in the sky

that you are not? Then, why need you desire? You are the God of the universe.

You create the universe and, after playing with it for sometime, draw it into

yourself and are the same again. What you really are is

Truth-Consciousness-Bliss." Baba insists that every one be made aware of the

goal of life, which is to pass from the stage of 'I am in the Light' to the

stage 'the Light is in me' on to the ultimate truth that 'I am the Light.' When

you are the

Light, there can be no darkness, no desire, no fear, no hatred, no ego.

In the following message to children, Baba is simple and direct, as if they were

really sitting around Him, their eyes wide open in wonder:

Dear Children,

You have been born in this most glorious country, Bharat, and have grown up

here. Unless you learn to know of its history, its holy traditions, the lives

and teachings of its men of wisdom and piety, what else is there for you to

learn?

Light the lamp of morality and righteousness, the lamp that once shone bright in

this land. Let its light illumine the world.

MESSAGES

In a message to students He has asked, "Can the goal of life be just this? To

struggle amidst the waves of joy and grief that rise and fall in the visible,

objective world; to be carried along the swift current of desire, gathering

food, shelter, comfort, and sensual pleasure and, finally, to flounder on the

rocks of death?" In another message He emphasizes a basic truth: "Seeking a

high standard of living instead of a high level of living, has played havoc

with human society. A high level of living insists on morality, humility,

detachment and compassion; a competitive race for luxury and conspicuous

consumption is not encouraged. Now man has become a slave of his desires and

finds himself helpless before the urge to earn pleasure and luxury. Being too

weak to keep his baser urges under control, he

cannot arouse the Divinity that is latent in him."

Baba has said that in this incarnation He is the supreme teacher. "Aham

Satyabodhaka" (I am the Teacher of Truth), He says. He teaches at all times, in

all places and by all means. He showers love and wins you; He withholds love and

cures you. Once He administered a mild admonition to some devotees who had

expected a continuous flow of 'plums and roses'. Then He enlightened them: "Do

you delight when I allow you to be near Me? The next moment I might cause the

sorrow of separation. Do you feel that Sai takes delight in your tears? Just

then I might make you laugh till your sides ache, and continue to grant you

joy, again and again. Do you feel a sense of elevation when I praise you a

little? That very moment I may prick the bubble of your pride by means of

ridicule. Do you feel secure when I tell you

not to fear? The next moment I might inflict pain and appear indifferent when

you pray for relief. I do not allow you to go back, nor do I allow you to go

forward! I madden your mind and smother your ego. Find out how any one can move

away from this charming Sai, the embodiment of Love and Light. Find out the

reason why He is indispensable, in spite of this dual role."

In this message He has revealed that every act of His, every flash of anger or

twinkle in the eye, every smile or curve of the brow, has a deep significance

for the recipient. Many such messages are composed in verse extempore and sung

by Baba, expressing the mood of the moment and answering unspoken thoughts and

questions that agitate the mass of people gathered to hear Him.

"When you have before you the wish-fulfilling tree," He sings, "why do you

desire to foster inferior trees?When you have for the asking the cow

(Kamadhenu) that yields all that you need, why do you seek the common cow for

milk? When you have the Meru Mountain, rich in gold and silver, why do you run

about frantically in search of petty gains? When

you have with you the Sai Who gives liberation, why do you crave for lesser joys

that dissolve again into grief?" Most of Baba's discourses are a commentary on

some such basic idea enshrined in poetry and song.

A group of Americans once prayed for a message to take home with them to the

States. So Baba, in His own attractive calligraphy, wrote, "The fruit has to be

sweet, though the rind can afford to be bitter. It is the juice and its sugar

content that counts; put away the rind of anger, malice, envy and greed and

assimilate the sweetness of the fruit, so that sweetness can develop within

you... Be a lotus: The lotus is born in slime and mud, but rises up through the

water and lifting its head above it, refuses to get wet, although it springs

from water. Be like the lotus or the lily-unattached."

Baba teaches us by means of His letters, discourses, books and articles. He

writes in simple and elegant, colloquial Telugu or English prose. The message

is always extempore, His ideas receiving expression as mellifluous poems and

songs showering exquisite delight. His script is reminiscent of charming

monastic artistry; the lines are straight and parallel, resembling floral

garlands spread out upon a paper. Poetry and melody shine through each

sentence, and behind each phrase and clause lies a form that is clearly human,

though it carries divine wisdom. Thus Baba's message enables mankind to benefit

from the grace and wisdom that He has come to confer.

THE MOTHER FEEDS

Baba speaks of Himself as the mother yearning to feed an unruly child who, in

its ignorance, refuses to eat what will cure its hunger. The child has to be

coddled and coaxed, wheeled and petted, even caught unawares sometimes by means

of a story or a song, to induce it to accept the food it needs. Baba's

immeasurable love persuades Him to pack a medical dose in a sweet smile, a

panacea in a palatable parable or a profound thought in syrupy joke.

Let us dip into the books that Baba has given man in order to draw him to the

feast that He has prepared for his hunger. A number of scholars, cynical of

matters beyond their ken and proud of their academic achievements, receive

these books by post (sent mysteriously by Baba Himself) or through some

inexplicable source. These become for them invitations to the Presence, fresh

and fascinating as they are.

Baba has said that if He were to be identified by one characteristic more than

any other, He could most aptly be called Prema Swarupa, the Embodiment of Love.

The very first Vahini (stream) that flowed forth from his pen to fertilise the

mind of man was the book 'Prema Vahini'. Narada, the great exponent of love as

a spiritual discipline, defines that path as Sathasmin Parama Prema Swarupa (it

is of the nature of supreme devotion or love to That). The love is described as

supreme, because it is full and free, with no conditions, no trace of

bargaining, and no taint of fear. Once such love is practiced and experienced,

all distinctions drop duality ceases, and only the Truth remains.

CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

/

***

I asked for Strength and Sai gave me difficulties to make me Strong

I Prayed for Wisdom and Sai gave me problems to learn to solve!

I asked for Prosperity and Sai gave me brains and strength to work for it!

I prayed for Courage and Sai gave me daughters to overcome!

I asked for Love and Sai gave me troubled people to help!

I prayed for favors and Sai gave me opportunities!

I asked for Humility and Sai gave me experience not to be proud!

I asked for Sai to grant me Patience and Sai said “No”- Patience is a by-product

of Tribulation.It isn’t granted. It is earned.

I asked Sai to spare me Pain and Sai said “No”-He said “Pain lets you experience

the sufferings of the others and increases your fighting spirit."

I asked Sai to spare me suffering NO HE Said. Suffering draws you apart from

worldly care, it gives you strength to fight, it gives you a feeling of love,

togetherness, humanity and brings you closer to ME!”

I received nothing I wanted still I received everything I needed my prayer has been answered

 

New and Improved Mail - Send 10MB messages!