The Immortal Theme

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The Hindus worshipped the saint in accordance with their Sastric modes,

using mantras in the worship. The saint had a deep knowledge of the Hindu

scriptures as well as of the Quran, the scripture of the Mohammedans. He

often expounded the tenants of these religions in a wonderful way to His

devotees. He often gave money to poor Mohammedan pilgrims for pilgrimage to

Mecca. The holy name of Allah was always on the lips of Sai Baba. He gave

His pictures and Padukas to His Hindu devotees and asked them to worship

them. He exhorted the Mohammedans, to perform their Namaz regularly and

without fail. He deprecated strongly the idea of a man praising his own

religion and belittling the religion of another.

 

Baba held Rama, Krishna, and Hanuman etc. in great reverence as God. Hence

He would refuse to sit on the same level with them. For saints like

Gnyaneshwar, Eknath and Tukaram, He had the highest regard. And He would sit

up, join His palms in front of His chest in token of reverence and close His

eyes as soon as arati of any of them was commenced. About Eknath, He would

say that Eknath was an excellent Brahmin the like of which you do not come

across these days.

 

Sai Baba was a Puma Jnani and an adept par excellence in yoga. Kharida yoga

is a practice which one in a billion among yogis knows. Baba was that rare

yogi, the yogi among yogis. So He would guide seekers of Gnana yoga and Raja

yoga and Hatha yoga who would seek His personal help and guidance. Their

experiences being personal may not come before the world.

 

Knowing the operation of the law of cause and effect in the universe, 'What

you sow, so you reap' was the truth underlying the tales and parables that

the narrated. For the laymen, He advocated the Bhakti marga, the path of

devotion, of which devotion and chanting the Name are the main planks.

Worshipping, serving and loving God are its chief features. He stressed by

word and example the importance of developing this devotion to one's Guru.

 

The saint sincerely worked for the spiritual uplift of mankind, healing the

sores of suffering of humanity by the extraordinary power of His spiritual

attainments and shuffled off His mortal coil on October 15, 1918.

 

But is Baba really dead? No. From His Samadhi, He hears our prayers and

supplications and grants them with a generous heart. It is this generosity

of Baba that is responsible for the unqualified success of the Baba Mission.

The saint is as alive today with His body in His Samadhi, as He was while in

flesh and blood. He inclines His ears unto our prayers today from His

samadhi as vigilantly as He did while He was in our midst in His physical

body.

 

When Baba is ever willing and ready to favour the devotee with his grace, it

is incumbent on the devotee, and it becomes his sacred duty to become a fit

receptacle to receive such grace. He can become eligible to receive such

grace by leading a chaste, pure, simple and virtuous life. Sincere

repentance and confession will wash away the feeling of guilt. He has to

look up trustfully and sincerely to the Guru to operate or work on him and

raise him higher and higher through various experiences till at last he is

taken to the distant goal as a culmination of his sadhana.

 

Identification

A devotee asked Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji - " I wish to see God. "

Swamiji said " you are looking at Him right now. "

Devotee: " Then why do I not see him? "

Swamiji: " Why does the eye not see itself? "

Later Swamiji explained: " As well ask a knife to cut itself or a tooth to

bite itself as ask that God reveal Himself. "

 

Friendliness

A devotee queried Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji: " What shall I do to love my

neighbour? "

Swamiji: " Stop hating yourself. " The devotee pondered those words long and

seriously and came back to say " But I love myself too much, for I am selfish

and self-centered. How do I get rid of that? "

Swamiji advised him, " Be friendly to yourself and your self will be

contented and it will set you free to love your neighbour. "

 

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