Message for the Week - 2009!

December 31, 2009

Sairam,

Baba bless us always and guide us. Today is the last Thursday for the year 2009 and also the last message for the year as well. This year has brought, happiness, joy, success, failures and sad news. But we have all gone through this when we thought we have no more strength to carry on. The only reason why we are here today (where ever that may be) is because of His grace and guidance. He gives us strength to bear things in life. Let us bid goodbye to 2009 and thank Baba for everything He has given us. He helped us grow stronger, wiser and mature with our experiences. If it were not for Him we would not have been enjoying what we are doing today. Here is the message I asked for Baba for all of US. To be with us tonight when the clock strikes midnight. Let us begin the new year with His name on the lips. We can do it only if we have His grace. And HERE is HIS promise to us as usual,

Mr. Cholkar's Sugarless Tea Initially, Baba was known in Poona and Ahmednagar Districts, but Nanasaheb Chandorkar, by his personal talks and by Dasganu, by his splendid Kirtans, spread the fame of Baba in the Konkan (Bombay Presidency). In fact, it was Dasganu - May God bless him-who, by his beautiful and inimitable Kirtans, made Baba available to so many people there. The audience, who come to hear the Kirtans have different tastes. Some like the erudition of the Haridas; some his gestures, some his singing, some his wit and humour, some his preliminary dissertation on Vedanta, and some others, his main stories and so on; but among them, there are very few, who by hearing the Kirtan get faith and devotion or love for God or saints. The effect of hearing Dasganu's kirtan on the minds of audience was however electric, as it were. We give an instance here Dasganu was once performing his Kirtan and singing the glory of Sai Baba, in the Koupineshwar temple in Thana. One Mr. Cholkar, a poor man serving as a candidate in the Civil Courts in Thana, was amongst the audience. He heard Dasganu's Kirtan most attentively and was much moved. He there and then mentally bowed and vowed to Baba saying - "Baba, I am a poor man, unable to support my family. If by your grace, I pass the departmental examination, and get a permanent post, I shall go to Shirdi, fall at Your Feet and distribute sugar-candy in Your name." As good luck would have it, Mr.Cholkar did pass te examination and did get the permanent post and now it remained for him to fulfil his vow, the sooner the better. Mr. Cholkar was a poor man with a large family to support; and he could not afford to pay for the expenses of a Shirdi trip. As is well said, one can easily cross over Nahne ghat in Thana District or even the Sahyadri Range; but it is very difficult for a poor man to cross Umbareghat, i.e., the threshold of his house. As Mr. Cholkar was anxious to fulfill his vow as early as possible, he resolved to economize, cut down his expenses, and save money. He determined not to use sugar in his diet; and began to take his tea without it. After he was able to save some money in this way, he came to Shirdi, took Baba's darshan, fell at His Feet, offered a coconut, distributed it with a clean conscience along with sugar-candy as per his vow and said to Baba that he was much pleased with His darshan and that his desires were fulfilled that day. Mr. Cholkar was in the Masjid with his host Bapusaheb Jog. When the host and the guest both got up and were about to leave the Masjid, Baba spoke to Jog as follows:- "Give him (your guest) cups of tea, fully saturated with Sugar." Hearing these significant words, Mr. Cholkar was much moved, he was wonderstruck, his eyes were bedewed with tears, and he fell at Baba's Feet again. Mr. Jog was also curious about this direction, regarding the tea-cups to be given to his guest. Baba wanted by His words to create faith and devotion in Cholkar's mind. He hinted as it were, that He got the sugar-candy as per his vow and that He knew full well his secret determination not to use sugar in his diet. Baba meant to say, "If you spread

your palms with devotion before Me, I am immediately with you, day and night.

Though, I am here bodily, still I know what you do; beyond the saven seas. Go

wherever you will, over the wide world, I am with you. My abode is in your heart

and I am within you. Always worship Me, Who is seated in your heart, as well as,

in the hearts of all beings, Blessed and fortunate, indeed, is he who knows Me

thus." Chapter 15 SSS.

Baba bless us and guide us always.

Wish you all a very Happy NEW year.

Humble pranams

Sairam

Anitha Kandukuri http://www.angelfire.com/sd/SaidarbarCanberra Australia's #1 job site If It Exists, You'll Find it on SEEK