The Glory of Shirdi Sai - Issue 22-2007 from Saidarbar.

[Guest guest]

THE GLORY OF SHIRDI SAI

Fifth Year of Publication

Published as Bi-Weekly

Issue 22/2007

25-10-2007

 

 

You can read this E- Magazine in 3d page turning NEW

FORMAT

 

http://ettitudemedia.com/loadbook.php?BookName=EMagazineCurrent

 

-------------------

 

GURUR-BRAHMA, GURUR-VISHNUH; GURU-DEVO MAHESWARAHA;

 

GURUR-SAKSHATH PARAM BRAHMA; THASMAI SREE GURAVE

NAMAHA:

 

 

Sairam. You can watch Live Web casting from Shirdi Sai

Samadhi Mandir from following Link:

 

http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/onlinedarshan.asp

 

THIS ISSUE CONTAINS:

 

1. FROM THE SATSANGHS OF SAIBANISA JI

2. SAI'S NEWS FROM TIME MACHINE

3. SAI IN DREAMS

4. QUINTESSENCE OF SRI SAIBABA'S PHILOSOPHY

5. SANATANA DHARMA & SHRI SHIRDI SAIBABA

6. DEVOTEES EXPERIENCES

7. SAI WITH CHILDREN

8. SPIRITUAL GEMS FROM SAI SATCHARITRA

9. ARTICLES FROM SAI DEVOTEES

10. LETTERS FROM SAI DEVOTEES

11. TELUGU SECTION

12. SAI'S BOOK WORLD

13. EDITORIAL.

-------------------------------

1. FROM THE SATSANGHS OF SAIBANISA JI

http://www.angelfire.com/celeb2/saidarbar/pages/S3500055.htm

 

Compiled by:

Sai Sevak Smt. Rajeswari Kasturi, Saidarbar –

Hyderabad.

 

Shirdi Sai’s Philosophy in the words of Saibanisaji

 

There is an allegory that depicts human life. Once

there was a man rowing a boat down a river. Some one

on the shore warned him, “Stop rowing so gaily down

the swift current; there are rapids ahead and a

dangerous whirlpool, and there are crocodiles and

demons lying in wait in rocky caverns. You will perish

if you continue.”

 

In this allegory, “The swift current” is a life of

lust; “rowing gaily” is giving rein to one’s passion;

“rapids ahead” means the ensuing suffering and pain;

“whirlpool” means pleasure, “Crocodile and demons”

refers to the decay and death that follow a life of

lust and indulgence; “ Someone on the shore,” who

calls out, is Sai.

 

 

Om Shantih Shantih Shantihi

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

 

To be continued…

---------------

2. SAI'S NEWS FROM THE TIME MACHINE:

 

October 16, Wednesday1918: Baba's Body was taken in

procession through the Shirdi village and then

interred in Butty Wada with due formalities.

 

October 27, 1918: Baba's devotees from all over

gathered and funeral rites were performed by Balasaheb

Bhate with Annadhanam to poor in Shirdi.

 

October 27, 1918: A committee was formed to manage the

worship of SaiBaba's Samadhi, comprising of 15 members

with Bapusaheb Butty as the Chairman.

 

 

October 27, 1918: Nanavalli a great but quaint and

queer devotee of Baba breathed his last.

October 7, 1954: A big and beautiful marble statue of

SaiBaba was installed behind Baba's Samadhi at the

hands of Swami Sai Sharnandji.

 

October 19, 1956: H.H.Narasimha Swamiji passed away

(Aged 82 years).

 

-----------------

3. SAI IN DREAMS:

http://www.ettitudemedia.com

 

These are the dream sequences and messages as received

by SaiBaNiSaji From our beloved GURU LORD SAINATH OF

SHIRIDI. In Anticipation that this feature will help

in one's spiritual growth are hereby compiled from his

personal Diary and presented to SAIBANDHUS.

 

Translated and presented by RAGHU RAMAN SATULURY.

 

APRIL-1995:

 

23-04-1995

 

Yesterday, Sai has given a wonderful message on the

bonds of love between a husband and wife-

 

It is right to opt for god’s service after fulfilling

all the responsibilities in life, but avoid being

lustful after separation caused due to death of the

partner. Such a life will often lead to rebirth to

fulfill those unfulfilled desires. Towards the end,

engage mind and attention in chanting the God’s name.

 

The principles of the four-ashrama dharmas (The four

stages of life-Balyam, koumaryam Yavvanam and

vruddhapyam) are to be followed in true sense.

 

26-04-1995

 

Sai appeared in the form of Katikapari (in-charge of

the burial ground) and said-

 

Death does not discriminate a person dying due to

cardiac problem or for that matter the one dying due

to the most known dreaded decease on the earth (AIDS).

However death embraces them equally. It is by far the

human tendency that restricts to view both deaths on

an equal plane. They end up glorifying the one while

engage in talking ill of the other.

 

Death strikes everybody equally.

 

30-04-1995

 

Sai appeared in the form of my bitter enemy and said-

 

It is natural for the mother to get wild when she is

not listened to. However it is the same motherly

instinct that showers her full love when her child is

suffering.

 

Nothing on the universe can substitute mother’s love.

 

To be continued…..

----

4. QUINTESSENCE OF SRI SAIBABA'S PHILOSOPHY:

(By Late Sri Bharam UmamaheswaraRao)

 

" Shashi " : shashi_31

 

30. Efficacy of Prayer and Worship

 

While we pray, we seek God’s help and lay at His feet

the load of our worldly troubles and seek his aid to

get over them. Most of our prayers take the form of a

petition for God’s succor. The real purpose behind

this kind of prayer is to obtain mental relief by

submitting our troubles to Him. While doing so, we get

a feeling that God will not desert us and will surely

help us. That belief infuses strength in out minds to

go thru our troubles unperturbed. Prayer is

acknowledgment of the Lordship of God over us, of our

finite and littleness. Prayer is the most potent means

of rebinding ourselves to God as all our ills are due

to our separation from Him. Prayer opens our heart to

God. When we pray, we surrender ourselves wholly and

entirely to God’s dispensation. It is willing

confession of our helplessness and seeking refuge in

God. But such surrender merely means that we are not

very much particular about the fruit of our actions.

Whoever does his duty is liked by God.

Pujya Radhakrishna Swamiji advices his disciples:

Plough with plough, share of truth;

Plant the seed of the desire for knowledge;

Weed out untruth;

Irrigate the field with the water of patience;

Supervise your work by looking into yourself (by

introspection)

Build the fence of the rules of Dharma

If we follow Swamiji’s advice, our Bhakti will grow.

Touching the Holy Feet of God’s idol in prayer

symbolizes and evolves in the devotee a sense of

humility and the evanescence of physical Self. Thru

the act of prostration, the devotee gets as close as

possible, physically to effacing the ego.

To be continued…..

-----------------------------

5. SANATANA DHARMA & SHRI SHIRDI SAIBABA.

let the scriptures be your guide in what to do and

what not to do. Understand their teachings; then act

in accordance with them.

-Bhagavad Gita 16:24

Ignorant of their ignorance, yet wise

In their own esteem, these deluded men,

Proud of their vain learning go round and round

Like the blind led by the blind. Far beyond

Their eyes, hypnotized by the world of sense,

Opens the way to immortality.

" I am my body; when my body dies,

I die. " Living in this superstition

They fall life after life under my sway.

-Katha Upanishad

NEWS

www.ndtv.com

DELHI, INDIA, October 6, 2007: It is one of the

grandest Hindu temples in the capital and has been

built with a lot of thought and precision. An

architectural marvel, the Akshardham temple is the

cynosure of all eyes. Soon a replica of it will be

constructed, thousands of miles away in China. The

first Hindu temple in communist China. The Chinese

government has invited the Swaminarayan Trust that

runs the Akshardham temples in Noida and in

Gandhinagar, to build a similar temple. A huge piece

of land has been earmarked in Fohsan state, which will

not only house the temple but also an Indian cultural

center. ''Initial thoughts are to have a cultural

center also along with the temple, a traditional

Indian music learning center and also various Indian

language teaching centers including Hindi, on this

temple premises,'' said Jagat Shah, Joint

Secretary-General, Indo-China Trade Council.

indiapost.com

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, October 1, 2007: The long-awaited

Prana Pratistha Mahotsavam (installation of the

Deities) at the first Hindu Temple " Shree Ram Mandir "

built in Staten Island was held on August 24-27.

During the three-day holy ceremony, the Deities of

Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman made of white

marble in Rajasthan were installed per Hindu ritual

and worship. Also installed were Deities of Lord

Ganesh and Lord Venkateshwara made of black granite in

Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is dedicated to its

presiding Deity Lord Rama.

www.ncicj.com

JAMAICA, September 30, 2007: Indian culture is one of

the oldest cultures. It came to Jamaica with Indians

after the abolition of Slavery. Indians were brought

as indentured laborers by British plantation owners

between 1845 and 1917 to work on sugar estates and

banana plantations. The first ship, SS Blundell,

carrying 261 Indians arrived at Old Harbour Bay on May

10, 1845. From 1930 onwards, there has been an influx

of Indian merchants and professionals.

 

Government of Jamaica in 1995 proclaimed the Indian

Arrival Day May 10 as the Indian Heritage Day in

recognition of the Indians' contribution to the social

and economic development of the country.

theseoultimes.com

SEOUL, KOREA, September 16, 2007: Ganesha Visarjana

has been celebrated in Korea in recent years as a

means to bring a taste of Indian culture to the

country. This year 500 Indians and 100 Koreans

gathered to enjoy Indian culture. The news release

elaborates, " The Ganesha Festival started on Saturday

(September 15) evening with great stage decorations of

flowers and rangoli (colored sand). The backdrop of

the stage was prepared so nicely with a combination of

both Indian and Korean culture. On Saturday the

Ganesha Deity was installed by doing puja. During the

puja various mantras were chanted and Indian sweets

were distributed as prasadam. Both the Indian and

Korean communities enjoyed the cultural interactions.

The Koreans were especially excited to see this

program and were busy catching every moment on camera.

Finally the program concluded on Sunday with the

Ganesha Visarjana Pooja and volunteers reflected on

the joy of conducting the program successfully. "

--------------------------

6. DEVOTEES EXPERIENCES:

 

From the files of Saidarbar:

This story starts with the traditional beginning of

‘long, long ago’. My parents were young and they were

friendly with the redoubtable Swami, BV

Narasimhaswami. This was in Madras, where the Swamiji

was trying to spread Sai Bhakthi. My mother was

thrilled by the passion the great man brought to his

Sai devotion and caught fire from it. She decided to

name her second child (me) Sainath in honor of Shri

Sai Baba of Shirdi. But alas, I turned out to be a

girl and they hurriedly picked another name for me.

The Sainath bit was dropped. By now, they had shifted

to Bangalore and contact with Narasimhaswami ended as

well. Many decades and many vicissitudes later, the

whole episode of Sai Bhakthi was totally forgotten.

Now, I was a middle aged working woman with my own

family. And though I was deeply religious, I wasn’t

keen on worshipping any saint....I thought most of

them were charlatans and preferred to stick to my

Krishna puja. Every day, on my way to School, I passed

the Lodi road, Sai Mandir. An elderly lady, who

traveled with me, never failed to remark that I should

turn to Sai Baba. I invariably smiled and kept quiet.

Once, in school, I misplaced a most important book.

 

I was in charge of the records of all House

activities. I needed to tally the points gained by

each House and submit a report to the Vice Principal.

But what could I do? I had misplaced the blessed book

and I was really in a stew. A thorough search had

yielded no fruit and I was getting desperate. When my

elderly friend once again remarked that I ought to

take up Sai worship, I promptly vowed in my mind....

If you are so great a saint, then please help me find

this book. Then I will take up your worship. Need I

say it? Yes, I found the book where it had absolutely

no place to be and I wouldn’t have found it in a month

of Mondays but for a very lucky chance (Sai’s hand?).

Apparently, I had turned to him in the nick of

time...A load of troubles was awaiting me. I fell very

ill, my husband faced a grave crisis in his career,

and my son was very depressed. I really didn’t know

which way to turn. All my confidence in my ability to

face life oozed away. Till then I had had the ability

to take Life on the chin.

But now I was sorely perplexed and very, very upset.

The Sai prayer book thrust upon me by my colleague was

my only anchor. I prayed to Baba by day and through

the long, painful nights. Within three months, my

husband got his rank, my son regained his will to

study and an old friend came back into my life and

gave me homeopathic medicine which cured me of my

malaise. And to give my darling son that much needed

boost in confidence to boldly face his first ever

failure, Baba per! formed one more of his numerous

leelas. I found. I don’t know how it got there! in an

old much neglected handbag of mine, an old, old

pendant of silver with Sai on one side and ‘shraddha’

and ‘saburi’ engraved on the other. I promptly put it

on a silver chain and round my child’s neck, where it

nestles close to his heart. His bride’s thali is also

Baba’s picture in gold. Never ever will we be alone

again. Baba’s always with us.

Source : (From Sai Leela, October, 2000)