Worship of Sai Baba By Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji

[Guest guest]

Worship of Sai Baba

By Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji

Divine Lire is life in God. It is practical Sadhana for God-Realisation. It

is the Jiving or the Yoga of Synthesis. It is the harmonious development of

the hand, heart and head.

- Swami Sivananda

 

Guru means the dispeller of darkness of ignorance. Guru may also be defined

as one who imparts information or gives training to another. The object of

seeking a Guru may be temporal or spiritual. Persons who lead highly moral

lives naturally affect their neighborhood and all persons who come in

contact with them rise in their grade of morality and spirituality. Some of

them may get into the position of Gurus for others. In Baba's marga the Guru

provides everything, including food, safety and protection to the sishyas. A

person is likely to make a very good advance alike in temporal and spiritual

matters if he has perfect faith in Guru. Surrender to a loving Guru and love

towards that Guru alone can solve problems. Faith in him is the thing

needed. Without a guru, there is no realisation. When the Bhaktha is fit for

further progress, he will get his guru. It is not the truth that sishyas

always go out to find the guru. The reverse is often true.

 

The worship of Sai Baba expanded and assumed vast proportions during his

life time. This however did not stop with 1918, but continued to expand

further and further not merely as to the forms and modes of worship and also

in respect of the population and area covered and further extended in its

inwardness and heightened its results. There are over hundred institutions

named after Sai, carrying on Sai Pooja, Sai Bhajan and Sai Prachar. Most of

them have Sai Mandirs.

 

Though Baba first objected to his worship, his gradual permission of his

worship has been specially stressed that Baba allowed his own worship as a

means for providing temporal and spiritual benefits. Kabir, Guru Nanak and

others tried to establish the bedrock of ideas on which Indian unification

in religion could be accomplished. Baba declared on one occasion that in a

former janma, he was Kabir. Hindus, Muslims, Christians etc. who came to

know about him felt that they were before a higher influence and that they

could all approach and reach God through him. They willingly made him their

Gurudeva or Protector.

 

Sai allowed the Hindus to adopt their method of worship and treat him either

as an Avatar or, Ishtadeva or a Gurudeva while he allowed the Muslims

approaching him to read their Koran and the shariat at the Mosque treating

him as an Avalia or a saint with remarkable powers. Offerings brought to

Baba were distributed by him to all after Fatia was pronounced in true

Muslim fashion. Though Baba did not himself perform the five namazas every

day, he encouraged the orthodox Muslims to do so at his place. Baba was

displeased when any religious intolerance was exhibited.

 

To many a Hindus, Baba was identified with various Gods or Avatars. Each man

saw in Baba, sometimes the very form of the deity that he wanted to worship.

He was Sat-Chit-Ananda. Thus he was Shiva to Megha, Ram to South African

doctor and Madrasi Ramadasi, Krishna or Vittal to Krishna Bhakthas, Maruti

to Maruti Bhakthas etc. Baba on the other hand allowed people and even

directed people to go to particular temples.

 

Today, in our busy and mechanical life, we may not be able to adopt a

particular mode of worship and follow it earnestly everyday. Various

problems, worries and other difficulties in our daily life are to be solved.

Then only we can peacefully sit for some time to think of God and meditate.

So the easiest and best way of worship is to surrender completely and whole

heartedly to our Samartha Sadguru Sainath Maharaj who will lead us in the

correct path and guide us in all walks of life. He will certainly give us

material and spiritual help finally granting us salvation.

 

(Ref Sai Padananda Magazine July 2003)

[Guest guest]

Worship of Sai Baba

By Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji

Divine Lire is life in God. It is practical Sadhana for God-Realisation. It

is the Jiving or the Yoga of Synthesis. It is the harmonious development of

the hand, heart and head.

- Swami Sivananda

 

Guru means the dispeller of darkness of ignorance. Guru may also be defined

as one who imparts information or gives training to another. The object of

seeking a Guru may be temporal or spiritual. Persons who lead highly moral

lives naturally affect their neighborhood and all persons who come in

contact with them rise in their grade of morality and spirituality. Some of

them may get into the position of Gurus for others. In Baba's marga the Guru

provides everything, including food, safety and protection to the sishyas. A

person is likely to make a very good advance alike in temporal and spiritual

matters if he has perfect faith in Guru. Surrender to a loving Guru and love

towards that Guru alone can solve problems. Faith in him is the thing

needed. Without a guru, there is no realisation. When the Bhaktha is fit for

further progress, he will get his guru. It is not the truth that sishyas

always go out to find the guru. The reverse is often true.

 

The worship of Sai Baba expanded and assumed vast proportions during his

life time. This however did not stop with 1918, but continued to expand

further and further not merely as to the forms and modes of worship and also

in respect of the population and area covered and further extended in its

inwardness and heightened its results. There are over hundred institutions

named after Sai, carrying on Sai Pooja, Sai Bhajan and Sai Prachar. Most of

them have Sai Mandirs.

 

Though Baba first objected to his worship, his gradual permission of his

worship has been specially stressed that Baba allowed his own worship as a

means for providing temporal and spiritual benefits. Kabir, Guru Nanak and

others tried to establish the bedrock of ideas on which Indian unification

in religion could be accomplished. Baba declared on one occasion that in a

former janma, he was Kabir. Hindus, Muslims, Christians etc. who came to

know about him felt that they were before a higher influence and that they

could all approach and reach God through him. They willingly made him their

Gurudeva or Protector.

 

Sai allowed the Hindus to adopt their method of worship and treat him either

as an Avatar or, Ishtadeva or a Gurudeva while he allowed the Muslims

approaching him to read their Koran and the shariat at the Mosque treating

him as an Avalia or a saint with remarkable powers. Offerings brought to

Baba were distributed by him to all after Fatia was pronounced in true

Muslim fashion. Though Baba did not himself perform the five namazas every

day, he encouraged the orthodox Muslims to do so at his place. Baba was

displeased when any religious intolerance was exhibited.

 

To many a Hindus, Baba was identified with various Gods or Avatars. Each man

saw in Baba, sometimes the very form of the deity that he wanted to worship.

He was Sat-Chit-Ananda. Thus he was Shiva to Megha, Ram to South African

doctor and Madrasi Ramadasi, Krishna or Vittal to Krishna Bhakthas, Maruti

to Maruti Bhakthas etc. Baba on the other hand allowed people and even

directed people to go to particular temples.

 

Today, in our busy and mechanical life, we may not be able to adopt a

particular mode of worship and follow it earnestly everyday. Various

problems, worries and other difficulties in our daily life are to be solved.

Then only we can peacefully sit for some time to think of God and meditate.

So the easiest and best way of worship is to surrender completely and whole

heartedly to our Samartha Sadguru Sainath Maharaj who will lead us in the

correct path and guide us in all walks of life. He will certainly give us

material and spiritual help finally granting us salvation.

 

(Ref Sai Padananda Magazine July 2003)