to follow the Master's prescriptions in its true spirit.

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Sadgurus like Shri Shirdi Sai Baba, operate simultaneously at two levels of

consciousness. Some of their activities are manifested and some are

non-manifested in nature. Some examples of the manifested activities are:

feeding the poor and the devotees, curing their physical and mental diseases,

rendering temporal assistance in all their material needs and religious pursuits

etc. The manner in which He gave relief was sometimes miraculous. Hundreds of

families of Shirdi and outside used to depend on Him for relief and sustenance

in their worldly existence.

 

Sai Baba never refused to help any one who came to Him. He laboured day in and

day out to solve the complex problems of His devotees. Once He told a devotee

that He (Baba) could not sleep during the previous night as He was thinking

about that devotee. “What would happen to my people, if I constantly do not

keep an eye on them†He used to say. This was the role of a Provider and

Protector.

 

However, the other role of Shri Sai was subtle and secret in nature, which

created a permanent value in the lives of the people that approached Him. Shri

Shirdi Sai Baba was a Perfect Master or a Sadguru. Being a Sadguru His divine

charter of duties was to train the devotees with a view to evolve their mental

and emotional qualities and ultimately to lead them towards emancipation. Such a

process of evolution, when left to the disciple himself, is very slow and may

take a number of lives to achieve.

 

As ordained by the law of nature, every human being evolves during each life

cycle while on the earth plane by experiencing an un-calculable number of events

generating pleasure or pain. Without, the help of a Master or Sadguru who has

traveled along and experienced the path of spiritual evolution, the seeker goes

through a process of trials and errors and in the process his evolution slows

down. However, if one accepts a Sadguru as his mentor, and strictly abides by

His advice, his evolution becomes easier and faster. The Sadguru with His divine

powers and qualities has immense capabilities to hasten the process of evolution

of all beings that come in contact with Him.

 

Therefore, He is called a Samarth (capable of giving God realisation) Sadguru.

However, notwithstanding the ceaseless effort of the Masters all devotees do not

progress spiritually at an equal pace. The pace of evolution of a devotee

depends on a few prime factors, like, acceptance of the Master-both

intellectually and emotionally, as the sole guide and Protector in the spiritual

journey, complete faith in and adherence to the advice and commands of the

Master and finally a lot of perseverance under all trying circumstances and over

long periods of time to follow the Master's prescriptions in its true spirit