FW: Gifts of Sai Baba

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Gifts of Sai Baba

By Dr. V. N. Shiradhonkar

" The ignorant runs after false pleasures and falls into the wide net of

death. The wise knows what is eternal; he does not expect anything of

lasting value from the inconstant pleasures of life. "

- Kenopanishad

SAI-brother K. N. Narayan Swamy has made an appeal-'Dedication to Sai' - in

the January 1988 issue of Sai Padananda, in which he has called upon Sai

devotees to contribute articles / experiences on Sainath to several Sai

magazines. Prompted by his appeal, my mind mused over the gifts that Sai

Baba has conferred upon us.

 

Shirdi Sai Baba is a phenomenon. His physical body has disintegrated into

the elements many years ago. But today belief in him and his power to assist

people in times of distress is growing. Sai Baba started no cult and spread

no religion which one could identify with him. His teachings have been the

essence of all religions. His believers are countrywide and include Hindus,

Muslims, Parsis, Christians, and others and several others abroad.

 

Saints exist to give devotees temporal and spiritual benefits. Sai Baba has

said: " I have come to give such good things to the devotees " . Once when one

of His devotees objected to people going to Sai Baba for temporal benefits,

Baba told him: " Do not do that. My men first come to me on account of that

only. They get their heart's desires fulfilled and comfortably placed in

life, and then they follow me and progress further. I bring my men from long

distance under many pleas. I seek them and bring them to me. They do not

come of their own accord. I draw them to me " . These words are law even

today.

 

His assurances (11 sayings) are fulfilled in the case of each Sai devotee in

his own inimitable manner. Sai Baba did not care for money or gifts during

his life time: He begged for food and ate along with dogs, pigs, beggars

etc. He had a perfect conquest of the palate and perfect sense of equality

that He displayed to all the living creatures. They indeed see the very

perfection of what the world's scriptures had conjoined for the true seekers

of God, viz., not minding what one eats and treating all life as one.

 

What gift can we give Sai Baba who in fact is sustaining us in every moment

of our life? We breathe Sai, talk Sai and live Sai. I can only borrow a line

of G.S. Khaparde from his 'Shirdi Diary' - " From the moment I approached Him,

all the load of my worldly cares disappeared though only a few minutes,

before, it was felt to be exceedingly oppressive and such as to cause

disgust in life " . So let us contribute our two-pice 'dakshina' - Sraddha and

Saburi to our Sai Maharaj.

 

Source

http://www.saileelas.org/magazines/saipadananda/july1988.htm