IS SAI BABA TO BE BROKEN?

IS SAI BABA TO BE BROKEN?

In 1943 December issue of Sai Sudha, the question is raised and answered whether Sai Baba is a builder or breaker. In that very issue, a `devotee' in stating his experience of Saibaba, narrates how he lost faith in Sai Baba and consequently broke Baba's image and how some one else with more faith in Baba successfully used the broken bits of that image for improving a patient's health. This was perhaps a distance repercussion produced by the report in Sai Sudha of a similar conduct of another `devotee' leading to similar results. It is not improbable that this second report may have similar further repercussions. Hence, it is the solemn duty of those responsible for the journal at any cost to analyze the mentality of these `devotees' frankly, so as to prevent further repetition of iconoclastic frenzy.

Let us carefully dive into the minds and hearts of numerous devotees,who `proclaim their devotion to Sai with complacency and pride. In most cases, the devotion will be found to be a bargain, - Sai to giveso much temporal benefit and the devotee to offer his namaskarams, archanas, naivedyams etc., in return. Most people frankly declare that (only) in case of the benefit being reaped, the devotion will be confirmed and the proposed naivedyams etc. offered. This may not be considered bhakthi at all and in any case, not a bhakthi of a very estimable sort. But, all the same, this is how devotion starts, is made to start or can start in the vast majority of cases. No objection should be raised to rudimentary bhakthi being so crude. But it would be pitiable indeed if bhakthi being continued so crude, after the early days and stages are passed. The child soon throws away its teething ring, trundle hook and spring toys, one after another. So should a baktha soon recognise the absurdity of resorting to God (or Godmen, who are the manifestations of God that men can easily reach to) merely to pull out one's earthly chestnuts from the fire. God is not to be bargained with and God knows what is really good for a devotee better than the devotee. Regard for God beginning with gratitude for one or more extraordinary acts of help must turn into Love, the Love of a child to its mother touched into sublimityby dim perception of Infinite Power, Wisdom in the unseen Universal Mother. Failure to advance will be not mere stagnation but decent into lower and lower levels.

Let us know the evil effects of continuous looking to Baba for earthly benefits. Our longing for earthly benefits get strengthened i.e. rajas and tamas get more and more to predominant in our nature, clouding the satwa and even temporarily banishing it from us. The evils of tamas and rajas rise up at once. A bit of disappointment makes us angry with God and Saints that we have just worshipped for earthly objects alone and we break our idols and Gods, fiercely trample upon them and gloat over our vandalism. If we but worshippedin the correct spirit, we would ask for earthly benefits, not in a bargaining spirit, nor in terms of dictation but with humble submission, recognizing the possibility that the All-wise Mother-God might deem it better to disappoint us and make us suffer in the present, to wipe off old karmic accounts, to develop the satwic side of our nature and to fit us perhaps for the position decreed by Supreme Wisdom and mercy. The Omni potent, Omniscient and Universal Mother provides for the present and future of innumerable creatures with apparently conflicting interests and may make use of us as her instruments or even as agents to carry out her high decrees. It is for us to submit our wills and to be receptive. If we are in thisproper mood, prayers are found to be needless assertion of ego, not promoting but retarding our real progress.

These general observations have been made with a view to help people to approach Sai Baba, one of the most powerful manifestations of God in recent times, in the correct spirit. Let people go to him for earthly benefit if they want. But let them realize more and more that it is God that they are really dealing with. Let the apparent distinction between Baba and God that appears at first so patent be dissolved in the increased appreciation of the divine attributes of Sai Baba i.e. his wonderful and obviously limitless Love and Power, Wisdom and Mercy. Let us recognize that our notions of God are really abstractions and that is wise not to ignore and lose the concrete manifestation of God before us in trying took pledge at abstractions that are so elusive. If we recognize Baba as God or divine amsa, can we ever try to break his image without descending to the level of a Hiranya Kasipu or Kamsa or Satan?

It is not unlikely that just a few people that read the above may feel hurt. No personal hit, however, against any particular person is intended, and the writer deprecates the assumption of any personal animus in him. But the intention of the article is deliberately to hit at certain traits and attitudes. People sticking to those traits and attitudes may feel aggrieved at the hit. The write must only apologize and hope that his motive i.e. desire to benefit the soul by pruning off dead and dying matter will be ultimately appreciated when the soul's growth is promoted as a result of such pruning.

(Courtesy: Glimpses of Sai Baba, by His Highness B V NarasimahSwamiji, Founder-President, All India Sai Samaj (Regd), Chennai-4,India)