Sai Vichaar for Thursday , January 10, 2008

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Sai Vichaarwww.saibaba.org Thursday , January 10, 2008 :: Volume 10, Issue 35 (In its tenth 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 WEEKCONTRIBUTED ARTICLEDEVOTEES SAYPRAYER CLUBEXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEESQUOTATION OF THE WEEKQUESTION OF THE WEEKSAI ACTIVITIESFROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARDFEATURE OF THE WEEK: KaivalyamTo a spiritual aspirant, certain physical experiences are inexplicable. Certain people and places are capable of bringing out unseen joy and indescribable peace to a seeker. While this is a blessed experience for a seeker, skepticism may describe this as a fantastic imagination of the week-minded. Sure, science has several definitions for such a state of mind. As an example, let us examine what a Hypnotist could do his subject. In this exercise, the Hypnotist proceeds to hypnotize his subject whose only requirement is to be a subject to the order of the hypnotist without offering any resistance. Thus, the hypnotized subject can be happy or sad, ecstatic or gloomy, only till such time the hypnotist has the spell. One sign of the Perfect Master is to be able to possess all Maha Siddhis or Great Powers. One such power is known as "Kaivalyam", the ability to impart the state of bliss to the chosen. Shri BVNarasimha Swami ji wrote in "Life of Sai Baba, Part IV":"When they reach Atman or Brahman, Yogis are said to have the power of imparting such a state of bliss to persons fit to receive it. G.S. Khaparde was a highly cultured Sanskrit scholar, and had evidently read Yoga Sastra. He has referred to certain instances and experiences of his diary in the year 1911-12, while he stayed at Shirdi. Therein he repeatedly mentions that Baba cast yogic glances at certain persons who were immediately filled with a wave of bliss, which overpowered all their other mental activities and kept them immersed in bliss for hours without break. Baba had the power to completely blackout some lines of thought, e.g., that of returning home from Upasani?s mind for eight days after his first visit to Baba. This yogic power which blacks out completely unwanted thoughts would evidently imply the power to give positive bliss to persons fit to receive it. If a person is comparatively free from sin and vice and could keep his mind sufficiently blank or sufficiently pure even for a while, any ordinary or sufficiently experienced hypnotist with a command could fill his mind with blissful thoughts over a considerable period of time. Baba?s yoga sampoorna state enabled Him to keep several people in such happy state as they themselves have recorded in their experiences.CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Receipt of Ishta Mantra from BabaBaba's Grace descended on me torrentially. My life, my bearing and even my facial expressions completely changed. I was completely submerged in Baba's Bhakti. My eyes were filled with tears on the mere mention of the word 'Sal'. There was nothing but ecstasy all around me. A strange change was experienced in the body. As someone touched me, he got electric current and so did I. My body often emitted electric shocks. There was nobody to explain to me what this phenomenon was. All spiritual books in my cupboard, which had been eating dust for years, started being dug out. Swami Vivekanand's book on 'Raj Yoga' which I had acquired as a student gave me lot of insight into what I was experiencing, A friend of mine, Col. B.S. Tyagi, gave me a book entitled 'Dhyan Yoga' by Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, bearing Swamiji's signatures on it. As per this book, the sadhak must have an 'Ishta mantra'. I told Baba that he wasn't physically present to give me an 'Ishta mantra'. Where and to who should I go to? And believe me, a wonder of wonders took place. Three days later, I received a packet of Udi from Shirdi wrapped in a paper containing the mantra, "Om Shri Sai Sharanam Mama". Never again have I, or anybody known to me, received Udi from Shirdi wrapped in a paper on which something is written. In fact, there was no occasion whatsoever for the receipt of this packet of Udi. I was overwhelmed to receive this Mantra. This incident made me a firm believer that Baba was a living force - Sadguru or God, call him by any name you like, and that there was absolutely no need to look for a living guru elsewhere. The copy of this Mantra is reproduced below, in original, for the benefit of the readers: "Om Shri Sai Sharanam Mama."During my last meeting with Sri Sivanesan Swami at Shirdi (who, in my view followed the principles Baba stood for in letter and spirit), a few months before he took Samadhi asked him, "Swamiji it is said that 'Om Sai, Shri Sai, Jai Jai Sai' is the Tarak Mantra of Baba and that every devotee should chant it as much as possible. Should I take to this Mantra and give up the Mantra so far being chanted by me? Swamiji replied, "Guptaji, you are a blessed person. Baba has Himself given you the Mantra, You should never even think of changing it."(Contributed by Adopted from Scribblings of A Shirdi Sai Devotee)CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: An interview with GodSo you would like to interview me? God asked. If you have the time, I said. God smiled, my time is eternity. What questions do you have in mind for me?

What surprises you most about humankind? God answered, That they get bored with childhood, they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and die as though they had never lived.

God's hand took mine and we were silent for a while. And then I asked...... As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn? God answered... To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be loved. To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them. To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply have not yet learned how to express or show their feelings. To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently. To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves. Thank you for your time, I said humbly. Is there anything else you would like your children to know? God smiled and said, Just know that I am here... always.(Contributed by Sai devotee)DEVOTEES SAY: LakshmiI have been suffering with eye disease from past few years. No doctor diagnosed me properly. When I started reading Sai Satcharitra, I happened to visit a doctor who prescribed me right medicine. That doctor did some tests and suspected serious disease to my eyes, I prayed Sai and luckily next day when I went the results were normal. Sai also protected us when my wife was pregnant. He poured blessings and made the delivery smooth. Thanks Sai for being with me, please help us getting my son's visa also soon.SuneethiThat day when my husband had to undergo surgery, You are the only one I looked for and You made everything easier and successful. We were worried about the bill approval by insurance and I kept writing your name and it was delayed but accepted and we were relieved. I promised we would go to Shirdi after he becomes all right and we are planning to visit Shirdi. Hope Sai will be with us and make the trip easier. I keep writing Ohm Sai Ram always and at any place so that Sai will help us always. Sai please help my child to get MBA admission in USA and scholarship. You know how much hard work she is doing.RakshaIn recent months, we have been through several hurdles involving my son's health and mine. For some moments, I experienced feelings of dejection. However, my faith in You is so firm that I was confident you would never let your Bhaktas down. I have only read 5 chapters of Sri Sai Satcharitra and today, You showed me yet another one of Your miracles. Your chamatkaars are unending Baba and I am ever indebted to you.ZenobiaOm Sairam! Saibaba, I would like to express my gratitute for having blessed my grandchild a speedy recovery from her illness and discharged her from the hospital within a few days. May Your blessings like always be with us all through life.PujaI want to share with everyone how from last three Thursday things are happening the way I asked Him. My elder sister in the US had her throat test done and doctors found some growth in the inner layer and hence was asked for more test. I prayed to Baba to have her reports come normal and thought of posting an article here if all goes well. On her next call she told me it is just her thyroid which has increased and it is not cancerious and after one more test they will medicate her. On the next Thursday I could not open my emails. Then my younger sister was told by doctors that she has a shoulder disclocation. I prayed to Baba to cure her and on her second opinion she found out in the x-ray that it is some kind a twist and will be ok by medication. She felt better within three days. And again I could not open the emails. and then in a party my husband who is high blood pressure patient got his BP high and pain was unbearable while he was driving. I prayed to Baba to cure him and promised to post here and by the time we reached home he felt better and at the same time for my elder daughter also felt better who was also sick. I want to thank Baba for all his help and forgive me for delay. I am agyani who knows nothing and can't function without His grace. Baba please cure my sisters fully and heal my husband fully of his blood pressure problem and his elbow pain away. You can give me his problem and help him lead a healthy and a happy life. Bless my mother, sisters, brothers, my daughters and son, and my in-laws with a happy and a long life. Be with me always Baba.ArunaDear Baba, Thank you for showing me the right path and putting all my thoughts in the right direction. Thinking right has made my life a lot more easier. No words to say thanks but please accept my namaskarams.PadmaI have stuck one big poster of Baba in my bedroom. I start my day looking at Baba's beautiful face and go to sleep after I look at His divine face. I read Sai Satcharitha everyday. One day while reading I just got a message from Baba that any problems I face in my life, I have to simply write it on a yellow paper with red pen and put it behind Baba's poster. I started doing it and everytime I feel Baba is there to solve my problems. I told this to my near and dear ones, they also experienced the same thing. I have stuck the poster up and down and left the sides open so that I can put my paper in it. Thank you my dear Sainatha for everything that You have given me in my life.

PRAYER CLUB: SoundaryPlease give life to our close friend's son Anand and his cousin sister Ramya. Both met with an accident in Chennai on New Year's day. Their conditions are very serious and they are now in coma. For Anand doctors are trying to get back brain function but it did not work. Baba, please give them life they are very young. Please Baba everybody is surrendering you only. Please show your kindness to them.

NaveenBaba, please take care of my maternal uncle's health. He is serious and having carcinoma in his lower abdomen. The level of hemoglobin is very-very low. He is confined to bed and he is not able to utter a single word. Please help him.

SudhaBaba, you know my problem, I told you about my husband's contract. It has not come for any conclusion, what to do I don't understand. He has been working hard for the last one year with this project. Baba please make his project get completed. If he lost this, survival is very difficult for us. Please Baba help my husband and give him courage, be with us always and don't leave us.PujaKoti pranams to you Sai. Please help me with the babysitter issue. It is giving me sleepless nights. Help me work my way out through this crisis like others. I am worried about my child's care. We need Your blessings with all our forthcoming decisions. Please make us take the right decision for my child and for all future endeavours. Bless my family, my mother-in-law and my parents.ShilpaBaba I lost hope all my way please help me, show me the way Baba. Since 10 years I am staying as a paying guest with no help from my parents. I am trying all my best to get married, to get a good job but things are not happing. Baba please help me.Sai devoteeI would like to pray to Sairam through this letter about my health which is bothering me since last two months. I am a lot better off from my fears about it but still not completely cured of the problem. I would like to mention in more detail once I become completely cured by His grace on me. Sai Ram, please cure me asap from my pain.MeenuKoti Koti Pranam Baba, please provide new job to Sameer as he is not happy with the current company. He is not able to give time to our son who is just 30 months old, we really miss him. Baba please help us.EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES: AtulOn the New Year's Eve, my wife and I went to a local temple to seek blessings for the New Year. This particular Temple is multi-faith and houses idols of various Gods, one of which is a lovely idol of Sri Sai Baba. It was late in the evening, and there was no one in the temple except for the priest. He noticed us offering prayers at the Sai Baba's idol. As we were about to leave, called us from behind and narrated the following: "I don't know much about Sai Baba and have always had little faith in Him. However, six weeks back, on a Wednesday night, I had a dream in which I saw Baba. He said that He will come to the Temple on Thursday. Being not much of a believer, I ignored the dream. Next day, just before the weekly Thursday aarti, a gentleman came to the Temple with a small idol of Baba. He requested me to keep the idol along with Baba's bigger idol. He said that he is not being able to take care of the idol at home. I accepted. This is when I suddenly realized that Baba had kept his word. Baba had come to the Temple as promised in the dream! Now I feel spiritually pulled toward Him.

Listing to the Priest's experience, we were amazed and delighted. We told the priest of the similar incident mentioned in Sai Satcharitra. He expressed his desire to read Sai Satcharitra and learn more about Baba.

This has further reinforced our faith in Baba. There couldn't have been a better beginning to a New Year than to go ahead with stronger faith in our beloved master and Sadguru.SowmyaWhen my brother was small he somehow got the Hepatitis B bacteria in him, and it did not go away as it does for most. It stayed and came up on some reports earlier but we ignored as the doctors always said it was passive. But recently he got Jaundice (very mild) but for some reason my Mom wanted to get this also tested, and the doctor this time was alarmed at seeing this in the report. Then we researched on the Internet about this bacteria and found very disturbing things saying that the person might die, or face punishment of bad health all his life and that there is no one time permanent cure. We all were disturbed to core. Amidst all this chaos all of us had one small hope burning that we had our Baba with us and that he will make everything all right. This continued for two months, we showed my brother to the top specialist and waited the results. That was when I decided to read Sai Satcharithra in one day and that too sitting in front of him in the temple and also to post this article if the report comes out good. The report came and all of us cried out in relief when we saw the report, it said he had the bacteria in him but it was in so minute quantity that it wouldn't harm him as much as we feared almost none. Yes but he has to be a little more careful all his life about what he eats and all. But we couldn't believe what he had for so long, what all we read on the Internet, all the affects of this on him everything was nothing now; all because of our great Sai Ma! None else! We bow to him with our hearts filled with love, our eyes filled with tears of joy of having him with us, Shraddha and Saburi. Hadn't it being Sai, my mother would not have got the idea to get this checked this time and it would have stayed unattended.QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: "One should have no mamata (attachment) but have samata (equality) towards all."-Shri Sai BabaQUESTION OF THE WEEK: Q. In Satcharita, What lessons can one derive from the episode of Madrasi Sanyasi?A. by KiranmaiThe way I understood - this incident was to point out a spiritual discipline to all of us seeking self-realization in earnest - If we accept Oneness and the Omnipresence and all Pervasiveness of Sai, then we should also be able to visualize Sai Baba everywhere, all the time and in every form of living creatures (including our physical relationships) and non-living things. If we accept and realize such Advaitha or Oneness of the Universe (Consciousness of the Supreme), then detachment is quite simple. Then by His grace we understand the macrocosm and microcosm of life.SAI ACTIVITIES: Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USAShirdi Sai temple is open daily from 8:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m.(Winter hours). Daily program includes Kakad Arathi at 8 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, except Mondays. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please visit the mandir website www.hamaresai.org or 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 or visit the website www.shirdisaidallas.org.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 every Thursday from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm and Saturday's from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm. For temple hours and activities please visit the website www.nessp.org or 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. You can also visit our website is www.Shirdisaiparivaar.org.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 or visit www.shirdisaila.org.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 7674 Sawmill Rd, Dublin, OH 43016. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call Panditjee at 614-799-8411 or visit www.saibaba.cc.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.FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD: Sai Vichaar is an open forum for those interested to share their experiences, views and ideas on Sai devotion and their experiences with Saibaba of Shirdi. Readers are requested to note that Sai Vichaar is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors. Question of the week for this week as follows: In Sri Sai Satcharitha, what lessons can one derive from the episode of Madrasi Sannyasi Vijayanand?

Humbly Yours,The EditorABOUT THIS EMAIL:This newsletter is not sent unsolicited. This newsletter is e-mailed to you because of at least one of the following reasons:1. You have d through our on-line page, 2. You have visited our web site and shown interest in the Sai topics and asked for information, or 3. You have been gifted a subscription by a friend or a relative.To Subscribe Sai Vichaar for receipt by Email please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the option from the menu. If you are subscribing the newsletter for your friend or a relative, we request that the person concerned may be notified about receiving the newsletter and the willingness to receive the newsletter be confirmed. To Un-Subscribe receipt of Sai Vichaar, please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the option from the menu. If you have problems accessing the web page due to network problems, please send an e-mail to support with the words "Un Sai Vichaar" in the subject line. To make a contribution to any of the sections of Sai Vichaar, please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the Submit Articles to Sai Vichaar option from the menu. Back copies of HTML version of Sai Vichaar can be accessed by visting the URL http://www.saibaba.org/whatsnew.html. For any questions or more information regarding this e-mail or our web site, please send an e-mail to maildrop and your inquiries will be attended to promptly.Thank you,The webmasterFrom and Editor:Shirdi Sai Baba Web SiteShirdi Sai Baba Sanstha(A non-profit organization)Mail:12N950 State Route 47 Hampshire, IL 60140, USAEmailmaildropPhone847-931-4058Fax847-931-4066© Copyright 1998-2006 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.