FAQ on Shirdi Sai - 7

Does Baba think it is right to silently bear the injustice and let the people do what they want to do to you or does He think it is right to leave such a situation and look for peace, so one can think about Him and become what he wants you to be?

Baba always said people who tolerate ,I am with them. But avoid the negative situations as far as you can. Pray to Him and internally He will lead you in the right path. Save your valuable time out of useless arguments and fights in order to serve Him.

What is our role in helping to spread peace globally ?How can a normal office-goer like me contribute to this cause?

To be global spiritual worker at first one has to develop the qualities of tolerance, love to fellow beings and greedlessness. Generate peace in oneself first, then only you can spread peace to others. This peaceful attitude and tolerance need to be practiced in the materialistic and the official world as well. All of us can certainly play our roles when we are ready.

In what state are the Sadgurus?

Sadgurus are human beings who are in pure divine state ,because they possess all the attributes of God in themselves. Vasudev Krishna was God incarnate who had assumed a human body. What is Sai Baba in reality ?So far I am unable to say this with certainty. Without the direct experience of Baba I do not want to infer anything imaginatively and emotionally. When I will have a direct experience of the true form of Baba I will certainly tell. But this is for sure that Baba was in a paramukta state and was beyond life and death and had divine powers to control elements of nature and lives of millions of people at His will.

What is the role of Sadguru in our life?

Sadguru gives the ability of God realization. His first function is to give the experience of attaining the state of "Pramhans" to human being. Without the grace of Sadguru it is impossible to achieve such state. One in billions can go beyond this state .'Paramukti' and 'turiyavastha' can be attained with great difficulty. Sadguru removes all the impediments in the path of spiritual evolution of the human being. Sadguru breaks all the concepts caused by sheer intellect. All concepts are symbol of ignorance. When ignorance is dispelled his inner knowledge gets illuminated itself. The true knowledge is veiled by all the concepts. Therefore ,it is necessary to shed them. One who thinks that he is the most intelligent person, Sadguru will wipe out his ego of intellect till he admits that his intellect is full of follies. Sadguru always works upon the devotees so that human being should transcend over all his limitations and attain a limitless state.

Is there any difference between an Avataar and Sadguru? If yes, then what is the difference between their divine play?

They both have the same purpose and same methods. Only level of functioning and human groups on whom they work may differ. Both give a mighty thrust to the growth of human civilization. Only this can be told in short.

Is it true that Sadguru takes the sufferings of every creature?

The Sadgurus are without any past Karma bindings. The seeds of all past Karma are burnt. They are in a state of Karmic vacuum. Therefore ,the effects of Karma of anyone coming into their contact enter into that vacuum. This is true whether one know it or not. This work is carried out for Sadgurus, for all souls coming into their contact, in any manner. Whether human being wants it or not, is also not material because the law of compassion of nature working through the Sadguru works spontaneously. When a horse was beaten up, Baba's back turned black and blue with beatings ,this is only a small instance. Whenever Baba's devotee is in pain , a thought or bhava in heart or we utter a word from our mouth, a vibration or ray instantly reaches the Sadguru. As Baba used to say "Be wherever you are and do whatever you like, I will know it even if I am thousands of miles away from you".

Those who become the constant cause of our suffering and misery, is it not proper to want the penalty for such people for their wrong doings? Who are we to award the consequence to anybody for his doings?

This work lies with God only. Everybody will bear the consequence of his actions. Many a times a human being misconceives himself as the cosmic law giver .Justice is delivered by God only. Because of our limited intellect we think that we are being subjected to injustice. We tend to forget that we had also committed injustice towards somebody. Many times we become proud of our strength and the capability and try to turn the situations in our favour. If one wields power then that should be used to conquer one self. If one wants to emerge victorious then one should conquer those causes due to which enmity and aggression rise in heart. No matter how many hardships come in life, one should bear the burnt of the circumstances with much forbearance. It needs great amount of inner strength to be generous towards those who consider our enemy. Today, if we save ourselves from some of the causes of aggression, tomorrow there will be a new set of causes to generate aggression. Thus, we will be left entangled in the cycles of causes and their effects. Sadguru wants to liberate us. He wants to lead us to a place where after reaching all the problems come to an end and a fountain of bliss begins to flow. But we are stuck up in the little thorny bushes of this path and get troubled by their pricks .We are not prepared to bear little pain a little more. We want that Sadguru should remove those thorns, which causes us little pain. One should not waste one's own and Sadguru's time. Why not hold on to the theme of devotion and forbearance in our heart and meditate at the feet of Sadguru then he is not to be told of our miseries. He knows all about his devotees. He is ever ready to bear the burden of his devotees.

When Baba resides within us then why don't we reach Him?

God, Guru, Atma are the same eternal consciousness in the ultimate reality. Baba is within us in subtle form in our soul-known as 'Antarsakshi' -one who knows everything about us. He is within us in the form of self-illumination. He is in our mind greatest noble thoughts. We do not have that power or inner sight which can see Him in the light form .Yogis after effort of many lives get that inner sight by which they can see Baba's swaroop in the form of light within them. Sometimes we do experience Baba in our Atma out of feeling of devotion and love but, mostly we imagine Baba in mental form. We keep thinking of Baba's photo, words, and His works. Moving ahead step by step we can reach His true form, when we will be egoless, have no more desires, become totally detached ,take control over lust, anger, hatred etc. When our heart will be blemishless and mind will be calm, then only Baba's actual form can be experienced. As the sky does not reflect water when it is disturbed by waves similarly, until, mind will be calm, then only Baba's actual form will be experienced. As the sky doesn't reflect on water when it is disturbed by waves, similarly, until , mind is completely stilled and get absorbed in Atma, it is not possible to see Baba's form in it. One has to strive for this. Only Sadguru can instruct about that path. Therefore ,one should continuously pray Him and follow the commands given by Him.

Knowingly or unknowingly ,with the body or mind we commit many sins, can we control this?

Committing a sinful act knowingly or unknowingly are two different things. If any sin is committed knowingly it is certainly much more serious because we are aware that it is not right but still do it. If we are walking on the road and an insect gets crushed under our feet or if we accidently hit someone while driving on road, they are not so sinful acts as the ones done knowingly and consciously. The latter type of sins also fall into two categories - physically, by direct acts involving body and mentally ,by thinking sinful acts like lust, anger, violence etc. Very few people can actually understand what the final consequences of any of their actions will be because what is considered to be good today may turn out to be bad tomorrow. We must pray to Baba that He should give us the capacity to discriminate the good from bad. He should give us the wisdom. We must pray to Him to take us from darkness towards light so that we are able to take just and right steps. We should read the life history of Saints to understand how they conducted themselves on this path in human form and how some ordinary human beings realized God by their faith ,patience and self-exertion

God internally knowing it very well that we are committing wrong deeds ,why can't we stop ourselves from bad action?

Despite all our efforts if we are not able to control it then it could be the effect of causes carried out from previous births. What happens spontaneously is predestined. We don't wish accidents to take place even then accidents happen at times without our mistake. The laws of nature are inevitable. Our sanskars or impressions come from many births and they can only be removed slowly. The Sadguru says-'I have no objection even if you commit mistakes thousand times. Because I know that you will commit a mistake. Such are your impressions through thousands of births. But I expect only sincere efforts to evolve in the direction of inner transformation through a process of self-analysis and honest actions. Through this process you will evolve ".Sadguru knows this that human beings are bound to commit mistakes. Sadgurus are the mountain of forgiveness and peace. Therefore their grace is necessary for evolving out of such a situation. With Gurukripa inner strength of mind will evolve to stop us from committing sinful acts.

Why do calamities happen in some of the places and not in others, what is the logic? When it is said that God is One and sustains everyone then why does He not prevent hunger?

A simplistic approach to the problem which can be answered but can't be explained within a small space and time. God is so expanded, multiplied in different forms that it is not possible to understand without exerting oneself. Some people tried to get an answer the whole life or for few lives. The Prarabdha Karma makes all the difference. The same man who asks why there is problem to human beings when God is there ,can also ask as to why the human beings should kill animals, birds and use them as their labourers.

My question is that why do I find all devotees in pain. I see that each one of them suffering from some or other kind of problem. Why are they suffering being so close to Baba?

All devotees are certainly not in pain. A real devotee will surely not consider the worldly pain as pain. He will consider his separation from Sadguru as a pain and will always try to be close to Him at the cost of the whole world. He is always in a state of ecstasy. Usually people with pain come to Baba. There is a small number who come when they have no problems. Human beings have always treated God in this manner. But Baba takes care of them. They are not suffering because they come to Baba. Had they not come they would have suffered the more. The support of a Sadguru is never known so easily.