Thursday, May 28, 2015

ALMS GIVING WITH STRAIGHT FORWARDNESS.

ALMS GIVING WITH STRAIGHT FORWARDNESS.

 

Baba: Nana, I will give you one more lesson.

 

N.G. Chandorkar: Very good.

 

Baba: Nana, if any one begs of you anything, if that be in your hand or power, and if you can grant the request or get it granted, do so. Do not say "No". If you have nothing to give, then, give a suave negative. Do not mock or ridicule the applicant nor get angry with him. If you do not like to part with what you have, do not say falsely that you have nothing . Decline to give it in polite terms and say circumstances or your desire stand in the way. Will you remember this lesson or forget it?

 

N.G. Chandorkar: What is difficulty in this? I shall remember.

 

Baba: This lesson is not quite so easy as it may seem.

 

N.G. Chandorkar: I will keep it in mind.

 

Sometime later, Nana, who had promised to pay Rs.300/- for charity to be done at the Kopergaon Datta temple did not bring the money and therefore avoided a visit to the temple, which was on his way to Shirdi. He, with the approval of his friend, took a detour through a very thorny path, as a result of which he and his friend ran thorns in their bodies. When they reached Shirdi, Baba would not talk to them.

 

N.G. Chandorkar: Why don't you talk with me?

 

Baba: Nana, when a man says he will remember the lessons I taught him but really does not, how can I talk to him?

 

N.G. Chandorkar: Baba, I remember all your lessons.

 

Baba: You gentleman, you evade seeing 'sircar' (God Datta) and take a detour. Why? Because the saint will ask for Rs.300/- is this the way to remember my lesson? If you have not the money, if it was not easy to arrange to get it, you have only to tell him that fact. Will the saint eat you? But what device is this, to avoid the temple of God for fear of the saint demanding money? Well then, have not thorns pierced your feet and body and the posterior part of your sapient friend? How can I talk to such a person?


(from Baba's Charters and Sayings, No. 306)

Guruvaar Prarthna

Guruvaar Prarthna

Our Beloved Sadguru Sainath, please accept our humble prayers on this Holy day of Guruvaar. Baba, what a great world this is!!! You are with us and guiding us in our life. You are showing right path in this wrong world, yet a small ray in our mind tries to jump out to the attractions of ills and malicious things. Make our eyes not to see sideways but straight to Your Lotus Feet. Let our accumulated sin not to increase, but to dissolve in Your stream of grace to us. On this holy day we start our prayers by reading Your divine words in Shri Sai Samartha Satcharita.

"Before the mind, the intellect and other senses enjoy their objects, remember me first so that they become an offering to me, slowly. 

The senses can never remain without their objects; but if these objects are first offered to the Guru, the attachment for them will naturally vanish. 

If you desire anything, desire me only! If you are angry vent your anger on me only! Offer me your pride and obstinacy. Be devoted only to me. 

Whenever desire, anger, pride arise strongly make me the object towards which to direct them. 

In this way, one by one, the Lord will help you in eradicating all the 'Vrittis'. The Lord (Govinda) will certainly calm the strong waves of these three venomous qualities. 

In fact, this disturbed mental state would be absorbed in my form or would become one with me. A state of peace will be yours at my feet". 

If you practise this, desires will become weak, on their own, and with the passage of time will be destroyed from their very roots. The mind will be free from all such tendencies. 

Knowing and believing that the Guru is close by, such a person would never be disturbed by such tendencies.

Once such a good habit takes firm root, the bondage of the world will loosen. The Guru's form will be seen in every desirable object. Thus desire itself becomes the form of the Guru. 

If there is the slightest desire for the enjoyment of the objects, and you think that Baba is close by, the question whether the object is fit to be enjoyed or not will at once arise. 

The object that is not fit to be enjoyed will be easily shunned. In this way, the devotee's vicious addictions will disappear and an aversion towards the undesirable will develop. 

He will be ready to obey the rules for the control of the senses, as mainly stated in the Vedas. Then, the enjoyment of the objects will be as per the rules and there will be no indiscriminate indulgence. 

When such a habit is developed, the thoughts about enjoyment of the sense objects are weakened. The desire for the worship of the Guru arises and pure knowledge will sprout.

When pure knowledge grows, the bondage of body-consciousness will break and the intellect will be merged in spirit consciousness, leading to infinite bliss.

I bow down to Sree Ganesh
I bow down to Sree Saraswati
I bow down to the Guru
I bow down to the Family Deity
I bow down to Sree Sita-Ramachandra
I bow down to Sree Sadguru Sainath.


-(from Shri Sai Samartha Satchrita, Chapter  24, Ovi 46 - 59)

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Making of Saibaba’s Idol

Sai Baba's Statue in Shirdi, which has become the most mesmerizing divine image of Baba, was installed on 7th October`1954, Vijayadashami Day – 36 years after Baba's Mahasamadhi.

Balaji Vasanth Talim

Balaji Vasanth Talim

Balaji Vasanth Talim was born in 1888 in Hyderabad. His father Vasanth Rao was a building contractor for the Nizam of Hyderabad. His father died early, leaving behind his wife Saraswathi, and three small children who migrated to Mumbai.

After primary education Balaji joined the J.J School of Art to learn sculpture. He won the "Dolly Khurshatjee" scholarship thus enabling him to complete his education. Balaji was a brilliant sculptor and painter, portraits being his speciality. In 1918 'Thalim's Art Studio' was established. He won many prestigious awards, gold medals, and accolades. Balaji was a highly spiritual, religious, philosophical and a man of principles.

The statue, which has become such a famous and well-loved image of Baba, was not installed until 1954, and there is an intriguing story behind it. Some white marble arrived from Italy at the Bombay docks, but nobody seemed to know anything about it – who it was for, or why it had come. In the absence of a claimant, the dockyard auctioned it and the purchaser offered it to the Shirdi Sansthan (temple authorities). Impressed by the quality of the marble, they wanted to use it for an image of Baba and gave the commission to Balaji Vasant Talim.

However, Balaji Vasant Talim had only one black-and-white photo of Baba to use as his model and was struggling to get the likeness. One night Baba came to him in a dream, remarked on his difficulties and then showed him his face from various angles, encouraging Talim to study it thoroughly and remember it well. This gave Talim the fillip he needed and after that the work flowed easily and the result exceeded all expectations.

saibaba idol

Making of Saibaba Idol

Shri.Balaji Talim testified about this to Sri Sai Narayan Baba, as to how Baba himself had directed the Sculpting of the Statue and how at every stage, he could very clearly hear the divine voice of Baba guiding him.

The Shirdi Sai Sansthan immediately approved this Mud Statue of Baba, on the basis of which the present Italian Marble Statue of Sai Baba was carved and installed in the Samadhi Shrine.

In 1954, while working with his workers at the finishing stages of Sculpting the almost ready Marble Statue of Sai Baba, Shri.Balaji Talim found an Air Pocket in a small additional portion below the Left Knee of Baba's Statue, which had to be removed. It seemed dangerous, as in removing an Air Pocket from a Finished Statue, there was every risk of the entire portion coming down, thus leaving the Statue Khandit (Broken), which therefore could not be worshiped at all.

So the work stopped and Shri.Balaji Talim hesitated to strike and chisel out the additional portion.He feared that the entire Statue might get destroyed and all his labour & time would go waste.He became nervous and prayed to Baba, "Baba have mercy on me. Your Murti is ready. Please Baba have mercy on me." Just then he then heard a voice within saying "Balaji, Carry on".

So Balaji instructed his workers to carry on and chisel out the additional portion, but the workers refused to do so fearing that the entire knee portion would just drop out.

Making of saibaba idol

naking of saibaba idol

Eventually & quite nervously, Shri.Balaji Talim took the chisel & hammer himself and while praying "Baba, help me" gave a small stroke, touching the additional portion of the marble below the Left Knee. And to his great surprise, only the additional portion of the marble came down leaving the rest of Baba's Statue intact. Seeing this, tears rolled down his eyes and he prostrated before Baba, started dancing and distributing sweets to all.As, he experienced such a wonderful miracle of Sai Baba.

The 5′ 5″ finished Idol of Sai Baba was taken throughout the village with pomp & ceremony.Baba's Idol was so Life like that devotees like Swami Sri Sai Saranananda & Laxmibai, who had personally been with Baba, felt as if Baba had come back alive in the form of his Idol.

On 7th October`1954, Vijayadasami Day, this lifelike Marble Statue of Sai Baba was installed on the platform of the Samadhi Shrine's western side behind Baba's Samadhi and the due formalities of Prana Pratistha were done by Swami Sri Sai Saranananda who had met Baba before His Mahasamadhi.

saibaba-idol

saibaba idol

At the time of preparation of Baba's Statue, one day Baba gave Darshan to Shri.Balaji Talim and said, "Finish the work and you will not do any other Idol in future." So Talim did not prepare any other Idol since then and finally at the age of 82 on 25th December`1970 he breathed his last.

- SHRI B.V.TALIM SCULPTING BABA'S IDOL -

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Baba Doesn’t Like Even Silver Palanquin

Baba Doesn't Like Even Silver Palanquin

 

When a silver palanquin was brought and presented to Baba 


Baba: Take it away, I do not want it. 


But the devotees insisted that it was needed for processions, when Baba's portrait would be placed in it.


The Palki was left in the open and on the first night some silver appurtenances were stolen. 


Devotee: Baba, the silver trappings are stolen! 


Baba: Why was not the whole palki stolen?



(from Baba's Charters and Sayings, No. 252)

Guruvaar Prarthna

​​Guruvaar Prarthna


Our Beloved Sadguru Sainath, please accept our humble prayers on this Holy day of Guruvaar. Baba, all these days we are asking you to do something for us, yet we have numerous worries and wonders in our days, we are unable to express each and every issue to You. We are not capable to list out our trouble lined up against us. Today we  pray by not uttering any word on our problems, we submit our soul and body on to your Lotus Feed. Silence is our prayer, our silence will tell you millions of our minds desires and disturbances to you. We will continue to follow Your shraddha and shaburi. On this holy day we start our prayers by reading Your words in Satcharita.

 

Many people have novel methods of teaching. But Baba gave instructions according to the understanding of the person.

 

Maharaj's method was singular. His way was to make it amusing so that it was well remembered. I have no experience of having heard or seen the like of it elsewhere.

 

He said: "He has a bad habit – that of liking to eat alone. Taking advantage of the market day, he came rubbing the grams in his palms (to take off the skin).

 

It is not good to eat alone. But I know his habit. These grams give the proof. What is there to be surprised about? ".

 

Then I said: "It does not occur to me to eat without sharing. Then, whence arises the question of this bad habit? This stigma cannot be applicable to me.

 

Baba, till this day, I have not seen the Shirdi bazaar. If I went there, I could buy the grams. And the question of eating them would arise only later.

 

I never eat anything without sharing it with someone. Whosoever has this liking may do so, but this is not my habit ".

 

Now observe Baba's skill. How he made devotion firmer to himself! Hear with attention, to what he said after listening to my clear denial.

 

" You share the food with whosoever is near you. But what do you do, when you are alone? What can I also do? Do you remember me?

 

Am I not beside you? Do you offer me a morsel? " Thus he made the grams a mere pretext and deeply impressed upon me this principle.

 

Eating food without offering to Indra and other deities, the five 'pranas', the fire and defrauding them of it or without offering to all deities made by presenting oblations to the fire before meals, or without offering it to the unexpected guest makes the food highly impure.

 

In principle, this appears insignificant. But its application in daily life is very important. Enjoying the

flavour of the food is not the only implication – all the five senses and other enjoyments are included.

 

One who panders to his senses can never hope to achieve spiritual progress. He who has a tight control over the senses alone can succeed.


I bow down to Sree Ganesh

I bow down to Sree Saraswati

I bow down to the Guru

I bow down to the Family Deity

I bow down to Sree Sita-Ramachandra

I bow down to Sree Sadguru Sainath.

 

-(from Shri Sai Samartha Satchrita, Chapter  24, Ovi 31 - 43)

http://babaprayers.blogspot.in/


Sunday, May 17, 2015

Thrown a Challenge to Sai Baba on My Smoking

Thrown a Challenge to Sai Baba on My Smoking

 

I first came to know of Sai Baba in 1972, when I joined services of a firm in Mumbai.

 

My uncle who lived in Mumbai was a steadfast follower of Baba and visited Shirdi every now and then. His wife, three daughters and a son, along with him stayed in Mahim. He was a hard drunkard and a chain smoker.

 

One day during his drinking session I questioned him, if he thought Sai Baba approved of his drinking heavily and smoking like a chimney? To my disbelief he answered that Baba preached, that you can belong to me inspite of all your vices and virtues as long as you have faith in Me nd My values. He said Baba says you can quit your vices with my help but I never disown My devotes. Amused at his answer, I told myself that these Babas are all farce and fakes and this is only a justification for his ill habits.

 

I, as a young man had also fallen prey to the bad habit of smoking and used to smoke 25-30 cigarattes a day. I believed no power on earth could make me quit smoking, as I was badly addicted to it already. Let me see if any Baba can do such a miracle of making me quit smoking, I told myself.

 

A few days later, I quit my job in Mumbai and headed back to my home town, Delhi. Back in Delhi, I planned to start my own venture with a friend's help who was handling an electrical wires business. Sai Baba had probably accepted the challenge to free me from smoking, but I learned the lesson in a very hard way.

 

Four days after joining the business, my father died of heart stroke. It was so sudden and heart breaking and happened within minutes, that for a day I even forgot that I smoke, till he was cremated. It was next day, after 24 hrs. that the urge to smoke could be felt, but hundreds of elderly relatives, neighbours, some coming from outside the city and staying on, I was never in a position to leave the gathering.

 

Being the only son and the one performing the last rites, the urge to smoke got crushed and another two days went by waiting to find an opportunity to sneak out of home and buy cigarettes and smoke.

 

Suddenly it struck me that if I could forget to smoke for 4 days, I could quit it as well. It then flashed in my mind I had thrown a challenge at Sai Baba, at my uncle's house in Mumbai to make me quit smoking.

 

Oh! What a price I had to pay for my arrogance. I bowed in reverence and offered an apology.

 

Though it made me sad, but made me realize that I had turned into His Devotee for the first time.

 

-Narinder Nandwani

 

Source: Shri Sai Sumiran Times, May 2015

Sai the Savior

Sai the Savior

 

Sai is great, he is always there to help his devotees. I would like to narrate a incidence.

 

It was 25 December 2014, Christmas day, Thursday, Sai Baba day. After Saibaba aarti in Shiddheshwari Shakti Peeth Sai Darbar, my father Shri Mahesh Modi (Ex serviceman, Army ) as per pre schedule, was ready to go to Jabalpur to meet my sister.

 

When he reached Bhopal station, there he had to wait for almost two hours for the next train. When he entered train he felt severe pain in his chest. At that time he did not understand what was happening to him.

 

The pain increased and became unbearable. He managed the whole night in that condition only, thinking that it may be gas problem or something like wise. But it was severe heart attack.

 

Actually, he was associated with Scientific Spiritualism Association, Meerut so he tried Baman Kriya but it did not help. Then he opened his purse and took out the paper in which there was Sai sanjeeveni Udi, but paper was empty with only little bit of udi in it, he applied that only on him and started chanting Hanuman Chalisa. It helped him and he reached Jabalpur station in the morning. He again had unbearable cardiac pain. He told everything to my sister. Then my sister's husband rushed him to Jabalpur hospital. The doctor was surprised that how it was possible to survive the whole night with such acute pain. He said it was really unbelievable. But the thing is "Jako Rakhe Saiya Maar Sake Na Koi." Yes Sai was with my father on that night.

 

Baba is always with my family. Whenever we need, we feel him close to us. Another surprise was that my father was having 100% block & 40% block was cleared after angioplasty after three days in ICU & CCU. After six days my father was discharged on 31 December, last day of

the year.

 

By the blessings of Sainath he started new life from new year 2015 & now he is alright. My sincere thanks to Sai Baba for being with me & my family in our difficult times.

 

-Yogesh Rathore Vidisha

 

Source: Shri Sai Sumiran Times May 2015

Thursday, May 14, 2015

GURU BABA IS NOT AND IS GOD.

GURU BABA IS NOT AND IS GOD.

 

Baba (in 1917) had with him Mrs. Tarkhad and her son Master Tarkhad

 

Baba: Boy, give me eight Rupees Dakshina.

 

Boy (Master Tarkhad): Baba, I have not got Rupees eight.

 

Baba: Go and get it from Bapu Sahib Jog.

 

(Master Tarkhad went to Jog and found him reading Dhruva Charitra and commenting on it. Jog said "Saints, though not God, have some powers derived from Him etc.," the boy angrily started back and came to Baba)

 

Master Tarkhad: Baba, why did you send me there?

 

Baba: What is the matter?

 

Master Tarkhad: They are vilifying you there, saying that you are merely a man and not God.

 

Baba: Then what is the untruth in that? Hello! What am I? A petty fakir! I am not God. How great is God! No one can compare with him.

 

Master Tarkhad: You deceive us by speaking thus. We fully believe you are God. If anyone belittles you, how can we endure it? Is it not true that we should not stay even a second where saints are derided?

 

Baba: Yes.

 

Master Tarkhad: God is not angry, if He is spoken ill of. But He will not endure it, if His devotees are spoken ill of. Is that not so.

 

Baba: Yes.

 

Master Tarkhad: Then what is the good of listening to a discussion whether such and such a saint is great, and such other is not so?

 

Baba: You should not stop even one second at a place where anybody talks ill of a saint.

 

Baba: (stroking the boy's head affectionately)" Read Pothi. Have Nama Japa.

 

Master Tarkhad," If I break off in the middle, I incur sin. So, I will not.

 

Baba (to the lady): Mother, I have to take the entire responsibility for your son.

 

Mrs Tarkhad: For all of us, it is you that take care. (Both bowed to Baba. Then some other came.)

 

Baba (to those): I have to take thought for my devotees, and if a devotee is about to fall, I stretch out my hands, and by four, four hands lift him and support him thus. I will not let him fall.

 

Master Tarkhad: Baba, just now you said you are not God but a petty Fakir. How then can you have four hands?

 

(Baba did not reply, but smiled and looked at Master Tarkhad, with love and approval.)

 

------#--------#...........------#--------#...........------#--------#...........

 

 

Devotees: Baba, this G.G. Narke says you are a man.

 

Baba: What he says is true. But you devotees should not say that. You have to get all your benefits from me.

 

(from Baba's Charters and Sayings, No. 301)

 

Guruvaar Prarthna

Guruvaar Prarthna

 

Our Beloved Sadguru Sainath, please accept our humble prayers on this Holy day of Guruvaar. Baba, You said 'Why fear when I am here', but we are surrounded with lot of fears, fear of bringing up our children, fear of their progress in education, fear of their friendship, fear of their character, fear of their employment,, fear of selecting good life partner, fear of their understanding in married life, fear of relationship, fear of loan, fear of health, fear of criticism, fear of enmity and a lot of fears are engulfed from beginning to end of our life. As you said, we are trying to get rid of these fear traumas, but in some corner of our heart it always trying to arise and put us down. Baba, please occupy fully in our hearts and suppress all our fears and guide us the way You want us to proceed. On this holy day we start our prayers by reading Your words in Satcharita.

 

 

Eight days before the laying of the flooring in the courtyard (of the Masjid) began, Mahajani suffered from acute indigestion.

 

He began to have many loose motions. Leaving all this burdenon Baba, he did not take any medicines or treat himself. He became quite harassed.

 

Mahajani knew that Sai was omniscient. Therefore, he did not describe his difficulties to him.

 

'When he wills it, he will grant me relief, on his own'. Having this implicit faith, he bore the disease.

 

'Whatever is destined to be suffered, will be! But there should be no break in the puja rituals'. This was the intense wish of Kaka each day.

 

Later on, when the motions became too frequent and were out of control, let us see what he did in order not to have a break in the arati and service.

 

He kept a copper vessel filled with water, on which he could lay his hands even in darkness, in a corner of the Masjid.

 

He, himself, would sit near Baba, pressing his legs and always remained present at the time of the arati, this being his regular routine.

 

Whenever he got a spasm in the stomach, since the water pot would be at hand, he would go to some nearby secluded spot and return after relieving himself.

 

So be it. When they asked Baba's permission to lay the flooring, he gave it to Tatya. Listen to what he said then to him.

 

"I am going to the Lendi. When I return from the Lendi, you may start the work of the flooring at that time ".

 

Later Baba returned and sat on his seat. Kaka came in time and started massaging his legs.

 

Devotees from Bombay came by tongas, via Kopergaon, by train which came to a halt there. They came up the steps with all the preparations for this puja and bowed down to Baba.

 

Along with everyone else, Patil from Andheri also came with flowers, rice and puja items; and sat in anticipation.

 

Just then, in the lower part of the courtyard, in the place where the rath used to be kept, exactly at the same spot the first stroke of the pick-axe was struck and the work of the laying of the courtyard floor began.

 

No sooner did he hear that noise that Baba shouted strangely. In an instant he became transformed into Narasimha. His eyes blazed with fury.

 

"Who is that striking with the pick-axe? I will break his back. " Saying this, he got up taking his satka. All present were filled with terror.

 

The labourer threw aside the pick-axe and fled. Everybody ran helter – skelter. Kaka too was frightened. At that moment, Baba held him by his hand.

 

And said: "Where are you going? Sit down. " Just then Tatya and Laxmi arrived. He started hurling a torrent of abuse at them, to his heart's content.

 

The people who were outside the courtyard were also abused. Just then, he picked up a bag of roasted peanuts which had been dropped there.

 

It must have belonged to somebody and fallen in the Masjid, while running away helter – skelter, when Baba had been in a fit of anger.

 

The nuts must have been about one full seer5. He brought out one handful at a time, rubbed them between his palms, blew upon them and cleaned them.

 

Then he fed the cleaned nuts to Mahajani. While he continued to shower abuses on one hand, on the other hand he continued to clean the peanuts.

 

"Eat them, eat them ", he said. He put cleaned nuts in his palm. He too ate a few, himself. In this manner, the bag was emptied.

 

When the nuts were finished, he said: " Bring some water. I am thirsty ". Kaka filled a vessel and brought it. He drank some and told him also to drink it.

 

While Kaka was drinking, he said: " Go, your suffering has ended ". He added: "Where are those wretched Brahmins? Go and fetch them ".

 

So be it. The group re-assembled. The Masjid was crowded as before. The flooring work was resumed. Kaka's diarrohea was stopped.

 

What kind of a remedy is this for loose stools?! It is the words of the Saints6 that act as medicine. He who regards them as prasad can have need for nothing else.

I bow down to Sree Ganesh

I bow down to Sree Saraswati

I bow down to the Guru

I bow down to the Family Deity

I bow down to Sree Sita-Ramachandra

I bow down to Sree Sadguru Sainath.

 

-(from Shri Sai Samartha Satchrita, Chapter  13, Ovi 120 - 147)

http://babaprayers.blogspot.in/

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Persevering faith

Persevering faith

 

A Prarthana Samajist went to Baba. However before seeing Baba, he had a discussion with somebody else as to whether Baba had the characteristics of a Stitha Prajna as defined in Gita. This unsettled his mind and he wavered in his faith and went to Baba.

 

Baba: Shyama, take him and tell him something.

 

Then, Shyama took his wada and gave his advice.

1) "Despise irresponsible and uninformed people's talk,

2) Place your mind at Baba's feet,

3) All will be safe".

 

Then they returned to Baba.

 

Baba: Follow Shyama's advice.

 

(from Baba's Charters and Sayings, No. 276)