Thursday, March 26, 2015

How Baba Made Das Ganu Eat Onion

HOW BABA MADE DAS GANU EAT ONION

 

The orthodox Das Ganu Maharaj dislikes onions.

 

Baba (to Das Ganu): Prepare Pitla, sauce of onions. Give me a part and eat the rest of it.

 

Das Ganu: Yes.

 

Next day prepared the onion dish and touched the onion with the tip of a finger and drew the finger near the nether lip as a token of tasting and then washed his fingers and face. Then he went to Baba.

 

Baba: Have you eaten onions?

 

Das Ganu: Yes.

 

Baba: He pretends he eats, but only touches it with his finger and brings the finger near lip.

 

Baba actually showed what Das Ganu did.

 

Baba: Ganu, you must really eat onion and not pretend.

 

Das Ganu: Yes.

 

Das Ganu was eating onion at Shirdi (as long as Baba was alive) on ordinary days, i.e., except on Ekadasi Day.

 

(- from Baba's Charters and Sayings, No. 282)

​Guruvaar Prarthna

Guruvaar Prarthna

 

Our Beloved Sadguru Sainath, please accept our humble prayers on this Holy day of Guruvaar. Baba, when we have the urge of hunger, You appease us with food, when we have the urge of thirst, You give water to quench, when we have urge to be happy and You satisfy us with 'something'. That 'something' is nothing but You. You are embodiment of happiness. We realize that You are near us within our reach to help us to ward off our difficulties. We knock your door with our prayers, please open and give us Your endless support and strength. We start our Guruvaar prayers by reading Your words in Satcharita.

 

Therefore, Baba, with your power let me experience this knowledge myself, whereby I can easily attain liberation. Grant me these alms, I beg of you.

 

Consequently, O Lord Sadguru Sai, I offer my bodily pride to you. From now onwards take care of me as there is no self with me.

 

Take away my bodily consciousness so that I feel neither pain nor pleasure. Control me so that I act only in accordance with your wish.

 

Or, you become my ego yourself and take over all doer and enjoyership. Let me not have anxiety on that account.

 

Hail, hail to you the One who has fulfilled all desires. Enjoin my love at your feet. O abode of Auspiciousness, may this inconstant mind find complete peace at your feet.

 

Who else but you can speak words for our welfare, relieve us of our miseries and bring us contentment?

 

It was Shirdi's good fortune that, Baba, you arrived there. Later you stayed on there and gave that place a status of pilgrimage.

 

Blessed is Shirdi's fortune that this merciful Sai made this place auspicious and adorned it by his own stay.

 

You are the one to kindle me. You alone are the one to provoke my speech, so who am I to sing your praises? You are the doer who gets things done.

 

To be always in your company is itself our study of the Vedant. Listening to your life story daily is itself our reading of religious texts.

 

Chanting your name without wasting a moment is itself equivalent to doing 'katha and kirtan'. This itself is our regular meditation and that is itself our satisfaction.

 

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 26, Ovi 15 - 25)

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Thursday, March 19, 2015

BABA AGAINST UNNECESSARY CUSTOMS

BABA AGAINST UNNECESSARY CUSTOMS

 

Baba (to S.B. Nachne): Have you taken your meal?

 

Nachne: This is an Ekadasi Day (which Nachne wanted to observe on that occasion, though not observing at home, because two of friends who had accompanied him were very orthodox and were observing it)

 

Baba: These two people are mad. You had better go and eat.

 

Nachne went to Bala Bhav's hotel; but Bala Bhav being orthodox, the meal was refused, as it was especially before Arati. So nachne returned with Bala Bhav to Mosque at Arati time.

 

Baba: (to nachne) Have you taken food?

 

Nachne: Baba, it is Arati time and meal can come after Arati time.

 

Baba: No. You go and take meal. Arati will wait for you.

 

So, Bala Bhav was forced to give Nachne his meal. After meal, Nachne and Bala Bhav returned to Dwaraka Mayee. Just then Mavusi brought and presented to Baba a number of bidas (i.e., rolled betal and nut).

 

Baba to nachne: Chew this.

 

Nachne took a bida; but hesitated, as it is not customary to chew bida on Ekadasi Day.

 

Baba: Never mind, Go on, Chew it.

 

And Nachne chewed it.

 

(- from Baba's Charters and Sayings, No. 280)

 

Guruvaar Prarthna

Guruvaar Prarthna

Our Beloved Sadguru Sainath, please accept our humble prayers on this Holy day of Guruvaar. Baba, You are near and far. You are nearer to the pure and sincere, but farthest to the passionate.  You witness all our thoughts and actions. Baba, You are our unseen guest at every meal. You are the head of our house. The reality of God is Your universal existence. You are not responsible for the wealth of a man or for the poverty of another. Every one of us bear the fruits of our karmas. On this holy day, we appeal You to suppress our karmic troubles and supplement our karmic peace and tranquility in our life. We start our Guruvaar prayers by reading Your words in Satcharita.

 

Blessed, blessed is the company of the Sadguru! Who can describe his powers? When the memories of his words are recalled, one by one, I am inspired greatly!

 

If you pray to God with love, and serve the Guru and perform his puja, you will receive that knowledge which only the Guru has. All other means are useless.

 

This path of the world is full of confusion and dim. The words of the Guru shine like rays from a lamp to make it smooth and perceivable.

 

Guru is actually God himself. He is Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar. Guru in reality is God Almighty. Guru is the Supreme Brahman.

 

Guru is the mother and Guru is the father. Guru is the protector when God's wrath is incurred. But when Guru is angry nobody can protect you. Remember this always.

 

Guru is the guide for worldly behaviour, the rituals and pilgrimages to holy places. He is the guide to what is right and wrong, and to practise non-attachment. He is the exponent of the Vedas and the Upanishads.

 

The Saints open up the inner eyes of the intellect and reveal the grandeur of the Inner Self. They fulfill all the wishes of the devotees. They are extremely tender at heart and compassionate.

 

They cause the passions to disappear. Even in sleep true knowledge pulsates. Because of their blessings, the twin fruits of self-denial and self-control are obtained.

 

If one is able to get close to a Saint, serve him and love him, like the wish-fulfilling tree, he fulfills all the wishes of the devotees and wards off all miseries.

 

Always practise truth; listen to the stories about the saints; bow down at the feet of the Saints. Sins will be washed away.

 

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 18, Ovi 17 - 26)

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Thursday, March 12, 2015

Spirits

Spirits

 

 

A devotee: Baba, do spirits really exist?

 

Baba: Yes. We have nothing to do with them.

 

R.A.T.: One night went out. He saw a specter under a tree, got frightened and then thinking of Baba, got courage and went back to his lodging at Shirdi. Next morning Baba himself when meeting him referred to the topic.

 

Baba: What did you see last night?

 

R.A.T: I saw a spirit.

 

Baba: That was I.

 

R.A.T: No, Baba. It was a spirit.

 

Baba again: That was I. Go and ask your Ayi.

 

R.A.T: Went and asked his mother, who said that all spirits were under Baba's control.

 

Baba: And Am I not inside all of them. Hello! Bhutas etc., will do nothing (no harm) to us. Have I not told you this last year.

 

 

(- from Baba's Charters and Sayings, No. 272-273)

Guruvaar Prarthna

Guruvaar Prarthna

 

Our Beloved Sadguru Sainath, please accept our humble prayers on this Holy day of Guruvaar. Baba, You are the remover of all calamities. You are the granter of all prosperity. You are the one source of every action and every move­ment. You are the sustainer of all, the giver of all good and the bestower of all blessings. You are the eternal amongst fleeting things. You are the One in the midst of many. You are absolute consciousness. We always pray and remember  You all the time. On this holy day, we absorb Your advice narrated by You in Satsarita.

 

Baba is the lotus in the lake of Shirdi. The devotees enjoy the fragrance; but the unfortunate ones are those who wallow in the mud all the time, and partake only of that mire.

 

He did not tell anyone to perform 'asanas', or to practice 'pran', 'apan' (yogic practises), or to control the sense organs, nor gave them 'mantras', or asked them to perform rituals or gave them amulets or asked them to chant or sing bhajans. Such false or fake advice he did not give.

 

Generally, he looked as if he was an ordinary person, but within, he was different. He was extremely competent in practical life and was without peer.

 

For the sake of the devotees he took form. His emotions and passions were also for them. Such is the popular behaviour of the Saints. All of you should realise this as the truth.

 

Sai Maharaj is the treasure of peace. He is the abode of pure and heavenly bliss. I prostrate myself to him, who is without ego and who is unsullied (undefiled).

 

That place is sacred and sanctifying where Maharaj has come to stay, on his own. Unless there is enough of accumulated good fortune, through the previous births, it is difficult to attain this treasure.

 

" Only from a pure seedling, juicy and sweet fruit can come ". (Purity bears juicy and sweet fruits) – (Tukaram). This famous couplet has been tested by the people of Shirdi.

 

He is neither a Hindu nor a Muslim. He does not belong to any caste or creed. But he completely destroys and annihilates the bonds of the world.

 

Just as the sky is limitless and immeasurable, so is Baba's life unfathomable. Who would properly understand it, except himself?

 

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 10, Ovi 112 - 120)

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Thursday, March 5, 2015

Dakshina as Prophecy

Dakshina as Prophecy

 

R.S.Dev was before Baba intending to get Baba's sanction for building five suites of rooms.

 

Baba (drawing 25 lines on the floor). One rupee for each line, i.e., each suite of rooms. Give Rs.25/-.

 

R.S.Dev paid the sum. Though he intended to build only five, he went on adding till the number happened to be 25 suites of rooms and there are only 25 even now.

 

(- from Baba's Charters and Sayings, No. 240)

Guruvaar Prarthna

Guruvaar Prarthna

 

Our Beloved Sadguru Sainath, please accept our humble prayers on this Holy day of Guruvaar. Baba, You are the source of all light. You are the source of everything. You uphold the earth and the heavens.  You are spirit. You are love. You are the source of all. You are the destroyer of ignorance. You are beyond all understanding. You are the fulfiller of the desires of every man. You are all‑effulgence, divine, the fulfiller of desires and the granter of insight and intuition. We continue praying you and remembering you all the time. On this holy day, we read Your advice narrated by You in Satsarita.

 

Aum. I bow down to Sai, the Compassionate One, who loves his devotees, the Abode of Mercy! Your darshan releases the devotees from the fear of this world by removing their difficulties.

 

Initially, you were without form and attributes but on account of the devotion of the devotees, you have been studded with attributes and incarnated as the crest jewel of saints, O Sainath.

 

To give liberation to the devotees is always the mission of the saints; but you are the Guru of all the Saints. That mission is inevitable for you, therefore.

 

Those that have taken refuge at your feet have all their sins destroyed. The good karmas emerge to the surface to clear the path and make it free of fear and difficulties.

 

Remembering your feet, Brahmins come from well known 'tirthas' and recite the Gayatri Mantra, and read religious books.

 

We, who are weak and without any merits, what do we know of devotion? Though others may leave us, Sai won't forsake us.

 

Those who receive his grace become inconceivably powerful, for they receive the treasure of Self bliss and discrimination together with knowledge.

 

Eagerness to hear the words from Sai's lips made the devotees delirious. Each word became stamped upon their minds and they realised the truth contained in them.

 

Sainath fully knows the desires of his devotees. He alone is capable of fulfilling them, which is why his devotees are grateful.

 

 'O Sainatha I invoke your help and place my head at your feet. Forgetting all my faults, free this servant of yours from all anxieties.'

 

If a devotee, overcome by calamities, prays to Sainath thus, his mind will be calmed as he alone is the giver of peace.

 

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 30, Ovi 1 - 11)

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