LESSON TO OVERCOME GREED, TEMPTATION AND ATTACHMENT

LESSON TO OVERCOME GREED, TEMPTATION AND ATTACHMENT


Baba always wanted to see that his devotees were not subject to Raga-Dwesha. As Rege sat near Baba at the mosque once, bunches of red plantains were brought by some one. Rege was fond of them, and he thought that he was going to have a good time of it. Baba of course knew that passed in his heart. So, when the fruits came, Baba took up one fruit, peeled it off gave the pulp to others, and the skin was thrown to Rege with the word Khav – for him to eat, as it was the red skin that attracted him. The same thing was done a second time and third time. All the three skins were quietly swallowed up by Rege on account of his powerful bhakti to his Guru. At last, Baba took up one plantain and turning to him, said, ‘Have I given you nothing?’ Then, after peeling off the skin of one plantain, he bit off a portion and said it was nice. He presented it to the mouth of Rege for him to bite off. Rege bit off a portion and Baba bit off the next portion; so that, between the two, that fruit was finished. so, Baba gave Rege a very well remembered and impressive lesson on greed in the matter of eating.

Baba’s identity with him was the matter on which Rege was most keen in 1912, probably on Guru Poornima day, when he went to Shirdi, he carried no garland. All the other went and garlanded Baba. Noting the absence of a garland in his own hand, Rege felt mortified. Baba at once knew his hear, and lifted up a bundle of garlands in his hands, and told Rege, ‘All these are yours.’

Rege, on account of his great love for Baba, did not mind spending Rs. 85/- on the purchase of a beautiful muslin, which when folded could be contained in one’s hand. On a Ramanavami Day in 1916, all of Baba’s devotees presented a piece of cloth each to Baba and got it back. But Rege, with his muslin inside his shirt, bowed to Baba, and stealthily thrust it under Baba’s gaddi so that no one would notice it. He came back. When all the other clothes were presented and returned, Baba got up, and said, ‘The Gaddi must be dusted. Remove it.’ The muslin was there under it. Baba said, ‘Whose is this? I am not going to return it. This is mine. '’Baba took it up, looked at Rege, spread out the muslin, put it over his shoulders, and asked Rege, ‘Do I not look nice in this!’ That was just what Rege wanted him to do, namely, to keep it – as there was no difference between Rege and Baba. His identity with the Guru was established in this practical way.

In another way also Baba granted this identity. This was in about 1916. Rege had gone to Shirdi and was staying with Ayi. when Baba was alone, he sent for him, and said, ‘The key of my treasury is now placed in your hands. Ask anything you want, Rs. 5, Rs. 100 or what you like. I will give it to you.’ This was a temptation, but Rege declined to ask for anything. Sai Baba knew what was necessary, good or useful for Rege and it was for Baba to decide what to give or what to withhold, and not for Rege to ask. So, Rege would not ask. Then Baba held him by the chin and coaxed him to ask for something, because he was anxious to give. Then Rege said, ‘Is it agreed, Baba, that you grant anything I ask for?’. ‘Yes’, Baba answered. Rege said, ‘Then Baba I want this. In this and in any future birth that may befall me, you should never part from me. You should always be with me’. Baba was full of joy and petting him said ‘Yes, I shall be with you, inside you and outside you, whatever you may be or do’ Rege felt then and feels even now, Baba is always with him. Baba also shows his form visibly to him occasionally to reassure him and guide him.

This statement that Baba is always with Rege, and Rege always with Baba, came from Sai Baba in a very forceful way again in 1916. on one occasion Baba showed his deep concern for M.B. Rege’s comfort and happiness. It was about a child that was the first child that Rege had. when in 1914 a child was still in the womb, both Rege and his wife went to Baba for darshan. then Baba cryptically said, ‘You have got one of my gifts with you.’ When the child was born, it was taken to Baba. Baba then caressed it, and asked Rege, ‘Is the child yours or mine?’ ‘Yours Baba,’ replied Rege. Then Baba said, ‘Keep him with you as a charge from me.’ One might wonder, with what object this was said. Baba fully knew what the future of that child was to be and how it was to leave Rege and cause him much pain, being his very first child. A year and half after that, the child got pneumonia, and the doctors were saying that the danger was over. But just then it started sinking. Rege took the child to the prayer room in his house and prayed to Baba. ‘The child is yours, Baba. So, please take it and give it rest in you. But having given it its worldly existence, I undertake all its karma’, said Rege. Then Rege put his palm on the head of the child. There was a smile on its face, a last gasp and the crown of the head was drawn in with a hiss, just the way in which the yogis lives would depart, namely, through the crown of the head. To confirm his idea that the child had sadgati, he had an experience, a couple of months later, when he went to Shirdi. as he was in Baba’s presence, the latter asked some one, ‘Who is this man? where does he live?’ pointing to Rege. They said, ‘This is Rege and he lives at Indore.’ ‘No,’ said Baba, ‘You are wrong. he is always here and I am with him.’ Next Baba asked , ‘Has he any children?’ The person present said, ‘No Baba; his child has just now died.’ Baba retorted, ‘Died? No, no. I will tell you what happened. The child was mine, and this man agreed to keep it. One day he said, ‘You keep him with you, and I will take up his karma.’ So, I took the child and kept it here, pointing to his heart’. Baba added, ‘He shall be here eternally’. Eternal with Guru – God means undoubted sadgati. That is how Baba tried to fore-warn Rege from the beginning about this loss of his first child and how he consoled him by giving the child sadgati. This being a memorable event is referred to in Sai Sahasranama in the following words: Rege Sisoh Tathandasya Sada Sadgati Dayakah.


Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji