Sai Vichaar for Thursday April 09, 2009

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Sai Vichaar

 

 

 

www.saibaba.org

 

 

Thursday , April 09, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 48

 

 

 

(In its eleventh year of publication.)

 

 

 

 

 

Sai Vichaar is a Weekly newsletter distributed every Thursday and is devoted to the life, philosophy and teachings of Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi. Feel free to forward this newsletter to your interested associates in its original form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN THIS ISSUE: FEATURE OF THE WEEK

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

DEVOTEES SAY

PRAYER CLUB

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

SAI ACTIVITIES

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FEATURE OF THE WEEK: Will Hari Provide

A child does not ask for the nourishment, mother who feeds and clothes the child brings upon its care. As the child grows, its demands increase. However, the child is still not equipped to procure its needs. Although the child knows what it wants, it is the prerogative of the caretaker to provide the demanding child with its wants. The child as it enters the adulthood, loses the luxury of being cared for by others. The adult gets what he/she works for. The process of spiritual advancement is analogous to the above. Baba pulls His child to Himself and provides the infant with the necessities without being asked for. The later stages involve the growing child command for its wants. Baba gives. Smilingly. This stage is the audacious lag of the journey, every prayer answered, every benefit awarded. Soon this stage should end. The realization dawns once the power of temporary bliss wanes away and the longing for something bigger begins to take a shape. How is the intangible realized? The inexplicable mastered? Will Hari provide? Hemadpanth wrote beautifully, "If there be my Hari (Lord), He will feed me on my cot". This proverb is only true in respect of food and clothing, but if anyone trusting in this sits quiet and do nothing in spiritual matters, he will be ruined. One has to exert himself to his utmost for attaining self realization. The more he endeavors, the better for him. Mercy of Sadguru sees one safely through the stages of infant and the growing. Constant contemplation on the nature of the self, in whatever name it is called, is the endeavor for the adult. Yes, the adult has to work for it and gets what he/she works for!

 

 

 

 

 

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Yugadi and Sadhguru Sainath!

Om SaiRam! This year Ugadi (Hindu's New Year) was celebrated on 27th of March. A typical celebration of Ugadi includes tasting of special Ugadi chutney, made up of neem flowers, tender mangoes, tamarind and jaggery etc. Our elders said Ugadi as Yugadi; Yug (New Era) + Adi (Beginning), means the beginning of a new auspicious time cycle in the process of constant evolution. Now let us see how Yugadi is related to Sadguru Sainath. Upasani Maharaj described Saibaba as "Sadaa nimba vrikshasya moolaadhi vaasaath.." (Ever seated at the root of the neem tree….). By His divine power Baba made the neem as kalpavriksha, a wish-fulfilling tree. The leaves of the branch under which Baba was sitting lost their bitterness. Once Baba was distributing a bunch of the leaves and to one Keshab Naik (a fortunate deep trusting devotee) the leaves tasted sweet and to others bitter.

The spread out neem tree is symbolic to the creation. To the ignorant folks these worldly experiences are bitter and the happenings a big puzzle, but to those who surrender to Sadguru each occurrence brings a meaningful message opening new portals of higher understanding, (Avadhuth learned from 24 teachers and liberated).

In the holy text Vishnusahasranam Lord Vishnu is described as Yugadi - Krit (Creator of Yugas/Time Cycles), and Yugavartah (Power behind the wheel of time, Mighty Administrator). Sadguru Sainath is our Lord Vishnu. A new Sai Yug already commenced and fundamentals of new age enlightenment are emerging at the global level. People are finding solutions in the sacred SriSai Satcharitra. Is it not our utmost holy effort to welcome the New Era and become a part of it? May Sadguru Sainath Maharaj ever guide us!

(By Syamasundar, Houston, TX. Inspiration: "Saimaster Pravachanalu" by Paramapujya Ekkirala Bharadwaja)

 

 

 

 

DEVOTEES SAY: AmmuThanks Baba for your unending love towards me. Thanks so much for being with me all my life. Am right now standing on a cross road to take an imp decision of my life. Please show me the light. Help me buy property.

AjayI want to share a small experience of 2008. I wanted to invest in stocks, asked Sai for permission by tossing a coin for his permission, he said 'No' with the coin and also the same day i was reading the Trading of Grains in Saisathcharitra.but my mind was fickle and I invested and lost all the money. This has to happen, as I didn't listen to Sai, now I regret but learnt a lesson of my life, my devotion to Sai is ever growing. I love Sai more day by day. My wife was facing problems with passport, but when she prayed to Baba she got her passport and visa with in a shorter period. He is always there to help and guide us, we just need to look out for him in every opportunity and surrender to him...Whether I get my lost money or not, My faith is growing day on day, Bless All Baba. Thanks to all the Saibaba.org staff who are doing fine wonderful service to Baba. OM SAI...

RajnishBaba Thank you very much for everything. With your blessing I start working in new job. Baba please take care of my family and my wife health. Please shower your blessing always on us and on all your devotees.

SmithaSainath, with your blessings we got a healthy baby girl after long wait. Thanks a lot Baba.

KrishnamoorthyMy self and my wife Shyamala thank Sayee for conducting the marriage of my daughter Priya with Randolph in Atlanta.

 

 

 

 

PRAYER CLUB: SrujanaBaba let this pregnancy go smooth and help me have a great healthy kid.

PreetiI don't want to go away from you..Please bless me..Get me together with my husband..Help me get my visa.

VedBaba please help me marry a good boy.

SwathiBy your Divine Grace we met each other several years back and since then I've been interested in that person. If we are on the right path, please make things work for both of us.

MaitreyiSwami, Please save my grandfather. He is the pillar for our family. Please save him. Please Baba.

SrinivasThis time I pray Sai for development in my job and retention in my native place. Sai Baba please help me, as I cannot go faraway places once again for my job.

ShobhanaBaba, my son has appeared for his semester. Please let him clear all the subjects. Always Baba be with him. I am very tensed as he is staying away

 

 

 

 

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES: RenuWe (my husband, our children, our parents and myself) were jolted out of our easy going, comfortable and happy lives more than 2 years back for reasons that our Sai knows. Our sorrow was of unimaginable magnitude as we couldn't believe and accept what was happening to us and why! We sought the grace of the Lord as never before...we started worshipping each and every form of the Lord in Hinduism and kept praying day and night that may this difficult period pass with least amount of difficulty. The worst of times never seemed to be ending no matter how hard we prayed to any deity.... however, even during these most difficult of times of our lives, we started experiencing little miracles of our beloved Saibaba to the extent that even our seven year old boy asked me once that why is that whenever he prayed to any other form of God, his prayers weren't answered but whenever he prayed to our Lord Saibaba, his prayers would

immediately be answered! Believe us, throughout this whole difficult episode, only 2 things kept our whole family going and those were 'shraddha' and 'saburi'...there were times when we were almost at the brink of breaking up when we would be reminded in some way or the other by our beloved Sai to hold on steadily to 'shraddha' and 'saburi'! Our difficult times spanned for a period of more than 2 years and during those difficult times, we felt that our sorrows were never ending and we couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel! Even when there was no light at the end of the tunnel and times were tough, we all held our faith in our beloved Sai and kept praying day and night for this painful saga to end and end it did finally on 2nd Jan 2009 by our beloved Sai's kripa!! It is no less than a miracle how our sorrows have ended so fast as anything could have gone wrong at any point of time and our period of suffering could have been longer but, by our beloved Sai's kripa, this whole episode has ended finally and now we are leading a happy life once again and this a dream come true for us! It's only now as we look back and think, we realize how our beloved Sai has always been with our family day and night, helping us, protecting us and showing us the correct path to tread which

has finally led us to our happiness once again, so, I would sincerely like to urge everyone who is having a difficult time, please think positive only and keep praying to Lord Sai with a pure heart day and night...He listens to every little whisper of ours and surely your prayers will be answered when the right time comes....have shraddha and saburi in the Lord Sai....these 2 magical words will take each and everyone through the thickest of turbulences in anyone's lives....we are living proof of it! All glories to our Lord Sai....our many, many thanks to you Lord Sai for taking care of us so well in the most difficult times of our life and we pray that may He look after every single soul and lead them to everlasting happiness at His lotus feet!

 

 

 

 

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"Where is the necessity of fasting? Go to Dadabhat's house, prepare the dish of Puran Polis (wheat rotis with gram-flour and jaggery), feed his children and yourself too." - Sri Saibaba to Mrs. Gokhale

 

 

 

 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Q. What is the attitude of Sai devotees towards raising their children? A. by Sai devotee The children should be encouraged to learn and understand the significance of various practices followed by our ancestors and us. Even though some could not be scientifically justified, the mere significance and the advantages of the practices will create interest in them. They should be encouraged to show interest in reading/listening to the hymns and stories that value human life. Inner peace, morals and ethics should be valued more than the external riches. Sai Baba's life and stories is something, which I am sure, will inculcate the above on our children. Q. Can intellect be an obstacle to devotion? A. by Kiranmai I once heard a wise saying when someone was discoursing Bhaja Govindam and Vishnu Sahasra Namam saying if intellect doesn't lead to Bhakthi/Devotion then that is not intellect in itself. "Adi Sankaracharya wrote a number of Vedantic works for imparting knowledge of the Self and the Universal Spirit. He also composed a number of hymns to foster Bhakti in the hearts of men. One of these hymns is the famous Bhajagovindam. The way of devotion is not different from the way of knowledge or Jnana. When intelligence matures and lodges securely in the mind, it becomes wisdom. When wisdom is integrated with life, and issues out in action, it becomes Bhakti. Knowledge, when it becomes fully mature, is Bhakti. If it does not get transformed into Bhakti, such knowledge is useless tinsel. To believe that Jnana and Bhakti, knowledge and devotion, are different from each other, is ignorance. If Shri Adi Sankara himself who drank the ocean of Jnana as easily as one picks water from the palm of one's hand, sang in his later years hymns to develop devotion, it is enough to show that Jnana and Bhakti are one and the same. Sri Sankara has packed into the Bhajagovindam song the substance of all Vedanta, and set the oneness of Jnana and Bhakti to melodious music." Quote from 'Rajaji'.

 

 

 

 

SAI ACTIVITIES: Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USASri Shirdi Sai temple is open daily from 7:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m.(Summer hours). Daily program includes Kakad Arathi at 7 a.m. followed by Abhisek. Madhayana Arathi at 12 noon, Dhoop Arathi at 6 p.m. and Shej Arathi at 9 p.m. Archana, Homams, Sahasranama and sponsored poojas continue in between the Arathis. To request a pooja for yourselves, your friends and family, please call. Devotees can request water (Abhishek Jal) from the Holy bathing of Baba by sending us an email or by phone. Temple is located 25 minutes drive west of Schaumburg on intersection of IL Route 47 and Plank Road in Hampshire, IL. For more information please call 847-931-4058 or send email to maildrop. Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MNSri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information. Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Dallas/Fort Worth, TexasSri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of DFW Metroplex is located at 2109 West Parker (Parker Plaza), Suite 212, Plano, TX 75023. For temple hours and activities please call the temple office at 469-467-3388. Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston AreaSri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open four days from Thursday to Sunday. For temple hours and activities please send mail to maildrop. Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CAShirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704 or send email to saibandhu. Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CADevotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938. Saibaba Temple, Columbus, OhioDevotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 6599 Dublin Center Drive, Dublin, OH 43017. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call 614-799-8411. Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, FloridaDevotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276. Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TXSri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted. Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VAShirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information. Shirdi Sai Mandir, TorontoThe Mandir is located at Unit 7 & 8 2721 Markham Road Toronto ON M1X 1L5 Canada. Daily services offered to Baba include abhishek and all aartis. For Mandir hours and activities, please call 647-444-4724. Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada -TorontoDevotees in Toronto, are invited to join in Sai Namavali, Satcharita reading, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. at GUR MANDIR 207 Queen's Plate Dr. Etobicoke - Hwy27 South of Finch for more info call (416) 294 4804 Sai Mandir, Baldwin New YorkDevotees in New York and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Sai Mandir in Baldwin NY. The temple is located at 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 516-867-8008. Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Iselin/Edison New JerseyDevotees in New Jersey and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Iselin NJ. The temple is located at 465 Lincoln Highway (Route 27) Iselin, NJ 08830. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 732-283-1800. Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Flushing New YorkThis temple is located near the famous Ganesh Temple, Flushing, New york. All the day-to-day rituals at the temple are being conducted in a manner similar to that in Shirdi. The temple is located at 46-16 Robinson Street Flushing,NY,USA 11355. For more information please call 718-321-9243.

 

 

 

 

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD: Saibaba.Org is undertaking relocation, migration and technology upgrade projects during 2009. The relocation phase has been completed. The upgrade and migration project is expected to be completed in phases during the year. The team will try to ensure that no services are interrupted for a long time but at times it will become necessary to bring down the equipment for maintenance and upgrade. Due to which there may be disruption in the distribution of Sai Vichaar. If this happens, you can always retrieve back copies of Sai Vichaar from the website by visiting the whatsnew page. We request your cooperation and regret inconvenience caused to you if any in this regard. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately. Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. The "Question of the week" for this week is, Q. Can intellect be an obstacle to devotion?

Humbly Yours,The Editor

 

 

 

 

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From and Editor:

Shirdi Sai Baba Web Site

 

 

Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha

 

 

(A non-profit organization)

 

Mail:

12N950 State Route 47

 

 

Hampshire, IL 60140, USA

 

Email

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Phone

847-931-4058

 

Fax

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© Copyright 1998-2009 saibaba.org, Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha - Sai Vichaar Weekly may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter. Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same. Sai Vichaar team or the Shirdi Sai Baba web site is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.